Three employees of the Philippine National Oil Corp. (PNOC) and two policemen died in the attack staged by some 50 heavily armed rebels of the New People’s Army (NPA) at the Tonongan geothermal plant in Sitio Cambantug, Barangay Milagro here at about 5:45 a.m.
"(After starting a fire) they ambushed two policemen and three employees who turned up at the site, killing all five. The fire was put under control," the military said.
A driver of the PNOC identified only as Noel was reported missing and is feared to have been taken hostage by the rebels.
A manhunt has been launched for the rebels, who are believed to have retaliated for the PNOC’s refusal to pay "revolutionary taxes," said PO1 Andres Butana. He was wounded in the incident.
The attack took place as 45 ranking NPA rebels operating in Agusan del Sur surrendered to Army authorities. They also yielded 30 high-powered assault rifles.
The surrender came amid threats by the NPA leadership to step up attacks to mark the guerrilla group’s 35th anniversary on March 29, local Army chief Maj. Gen. Samuel Bagasin said.
The policemen killed in the PNOC attack were identified as Police Officer 2 Mario Udtojan and PO1 Michael Dagami, according to police Superintendent Carlo Magno Centenaje, regional mobile group director.
The slain PNOC employees were Jaime Celeste, Alden Alcober and Jerry Flores, said Eastern Visayas police director Chief Superintendent Dionisio Coloma.
Police investigation revealed the communist guerrillas stormed the PNOC-operated Tonongan geothermal plant, immediately disarming the security guards, and started burning some equipment.
Security guards managed to call for help. But responding lawmen aboard three vehicles were ambushed even before they could reach the plant.
It was learned the slain policemen hitched a ride on the vehicle where the civilians with some other PNOC employees were on board.
A survivor, PO2 Gil Ormenita, told The STAR that an unspecified explosive went off at the center of the road before the three-vehicle convoy arrived at the site.
This was followed by sporadic gunfire aimed toward the convoy, said Ormenita, who was on the second vehicle, a Kia Ceres, with PO2 Rufo Canundo and PO2 Andres Butana.
Ormenita, whose vehicle was only 10 meters away from the lead vehicle, said Noel, the PNOC driver, managed to jump before the first volley of fire came.
Noel scampered to the ravine beside the second vehicle to hide. He was later reported missing.
Ormenita said they hid themselves in a shoal canal by a mountain road.
The gunfight lasted nearly an hour, he said, claiming to have also killed three of the rebels while wounding three others.
Ormenita said that after the first car was totally overrun, the suspects torched the second vehicle but not without spraying bullets on the victims’ heads first with Armalites. The victims’ remains were charred beyond recognition.
Another survivor, PO2 Rufo Canundo, said he heard one of the three slain civilians pleading for his life before his head was blown off.
Canundo said the remains of one of the fatalities were recovered still in a kneeling position beside one of the burnt vehicles.
POI Julius Abah, who was on the last vehicle, said at least 50 NPA rebels opened fired at them as they were about 50 meters away from the second car.
He said they returned fire after their tire blew out from the volley. Abah and another policeman sustained only minor wounds.
Police deputy regional director for operations Senior Superintendent Benjamin Apayart admitted the Tonongan geothermal power plant has been manned by only one company of police personnel apart from one Army platoon.
The geothermal plant is on a 3,000-hectare lot and is the only source of power for Eastern Visayas.
The 9,000-strong NPA, which has been fighting for a Marxist state for 35 years, has recently stepped up its extortion activities ahead of the May 10 elections. The communist rebels also collect "campaign fees" from candidates apart from the usual revolutionary tax from government agencies and private businesses.
Following their oath of allegiance administered by Major General Bagasin, the rebel returnees in Agusan del Sur were provided with cash incentives for the high-powered firearms they surrendered. These included AR18 rifles, four M16s and an AK-47 assault rifle.
The returnees all claimed they had grown tired of fighting the government as they were also provided with seed capital to start their lives anew. — AFP, Roberto Dejon, Miriam Garcia Desacada, Christina Mendez, Jaime Laude