NPA in arson binge to harass CL traders

CABANATUAN CITY - Communist rebels have resorted to arson as a part of their psy-war tactics in Central Luzon, burning at least P6.5 million worth of property in Nueva Ecija and Tarlac in the past two months.

Brig. Gen. Ernesto Carolina, commanding general of the Army's 7th Infantry Division, said New People's Army (NPA) rebels use arson to terrorize businessmen who refuse to give in to their demand for "progressive revolutionary taxes."

He said rebels also resort to arson "in a desperate attempt to show their strength."

Carolina said the military has recorded four arson incidents perpetrated by the NPA in the past two months - in the towns of Lupao, Talugtog and Panta-bangan, all in Nueva Ecija, and in Sta. Ignacia, Tarlac.

The latest arson incident occurred last April 10 in Sta. Ignacia, Tarlac where rebels torched a poultry farm after its owners, spouses Catalino and Cecilio Bondoc, refused to pay revolutionary taxes.

Lt. Col. Eduardo del Rosario, chief of the 7th ID's civil-military operations division, said a 20-man rebel band, under the command of one Nelson Mesina, stormed the farm at 8:30 p.m., ordered all farm workers to leave, doused the six poultry houses with gasoline and then set them on fire.

The rebels also burned the workers' sleeping quarters, two service vehicles and an XLT van. Damage was placed at P2.5 million.

On the night of March 11, rebels barged into the compound of the G and L Associated Brokerage, owned by one Gerry Trinidad in Barangay Cambitala, Pantabangan, Nueva Ecija.

Unable to find Trinidad, the rebels burned a 10-wheeler truck and smashed the windshields of 10 other trucks. Damage was placed at P1 million.

Half an hour earlier, a rebel band, led by one Ka Dario, barged into the house of Virgilio Derecto, chairman of Barangay Maasin, Talugtog town, and seized guns and communications equipment. Before leaving, they set 11 abandoned bunkers on fire.

A week earlier, a 30-man rebel band, led by one Ely Agmaliw alias Ka Aldo, swooped down on the compound of the Meralco Industrial Engineering Services Corp. (Miescor) in Sitio Kakapalan, Barangay Salvacion North in Lupao town and burned a backhoe.

Carolina said that prior to the incident, Agmaliw met with Miescor engineer Meliton Macasieb in a forested area in Pinagkuartelan, Sto. Niño 1st in San Jose City and demanded P500,000 in revolutionary taxes.

After failing to contact Macasieb after several phone calls, Agmaliw's group raided the firm's compound. Damage was placed at P3 million.