Arroyo orders tight security after NPA attack on plant

President Arroyo ordered yesterday troops to tighten security at vital installations after New People’s Army (NPA) rebels burned a power plant of the Philippine National Oil Co. (PNOC) in Ormoc City in Leyte on Friday and killed five people.

"(The attack was) a crime against the people and shows total disregard for the lives of ordinary civilians," she said.

"I have already directed the (Philippine National Police) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines to intensify security measures in vital installations and other government facilities in the provinces," the President said.

On the other hand, Thelmo Cunanan, PNOC president and chief executive officer, said they will not be coerced into paying so-called "revolutionary taxes to the NPA.

"It is really just a form of extortion," he said.

"We are strongly condemning the barbaric, treacherous, and senseless attack by the New People’s Army on the Leyte geothermal power plant of our subsidiary, Philippine National Oil Co.-Energy Development Corp. (PNOC-EDC) in which five innocent lives were lost."

Cunanan said the terrorist attack is an affront to the Filipino people as geothermal plants are helping supply electricity to the nation .

"Our PNOC project sites all over the country are already on a heightened state of alert," he said. "PNOC is coordinating with the military to provide security to all our project sites, not only geothermal, but also our oil and gas projects too"

Cunanan said PNOC-EDC is preparing to repair all the equipment that had been damaged in the NPA raid.

"PNOC-EDC assured me that operations at the Leyte geothermal plant will normalize as soon as possible, and everything is under control," he said.

The attack on the Ormoc power plant was the second NPA raid on a power installation this year.

Three PNOC employees and two policemen died in the attack in Sitio Cambantug, Barangay Milagro at around 5:45 a.m.

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 attack.

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 showed the NPA rebels stormed the 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.

The geothermal plant is on a 3,000-hectare lot and is the only source of power for Eastern Visayas. — With AFP report