MANILA - A grenade exploded in front of the house of a customs brokers’ group leader, who recently revealed an alleged extortion racket of Presidential Anti-Smuggling Group (PASG) agents.

A radio dzMM report said the explosion in front of the house of Agapito Mendez, president of the Professional Customs Brokers of the Philippines (PCBAPI), on 59 East Drive Street, Barangay Fortune, Marikina City around 4 a.m.

No one was hurt in the blast.

Mendez's wfe, Erlinda, believes that grenade throwing incident is connected to her husband's accusations against the PASG.

Mendez revealed last Tuesday before an inquiry at the House of Representatives an alleged multimillion-peso extortion racket of PASG operatives.

He accused PASG agents of taking importers' cargo hostage. He said the cargos are released only after importers give in to the agents' "ransom" demand.

The PCBAPI president said PASG agents release "hostaged" cargoes in exchange for P20,000 to P40,000.

He said the racket easily earns millions of pesos for the PASG agents.

The revelation has led to calls from the House of Representatives for the abolition of the anti-smuggling group. -- Reports from radio dzMM and ABS-CBN News