NPAs foiled in attempt to burn cell site

SORSOGON CITY — Policemen folled an attempt of the New People’s Army (NPA) to burn the Globe cell site in Barangay San Juan here Friday evening for failing to pay ‘revolutionary tax."

Chief Supt. Rodolfo Tor, Bicol police regional director, said that three armed men believed to be members of the NPA barged into the compound of the Globe cellsite at 14th Street in Sampaguita Village here at about 7:30 p.m. Friday.

Once inside, the rebels disarmed security guards Luis Janolan, Crisanto Habila and Ruben Dellosa, then demanded the key to the equipment room from Dellosa. They also took his cell phone to prevent him from texting for assistance from the authorities.

However, Dellosa was able to escape from his captors and sought assistance at the Police Sub-station 3, some 500 meters away from the cell site.

"One of them took a bottle of gin filled with gasoline and hurled it on top of a generator beside a gas cylinder," Police Senior Supt. Arne de los Santos, Sorsogon police provincial director, said.

The gas cylinder didn’t explode. The armed men then fled as they saw the policemen coming.

Last Oct. 5, some 25 NPA rebels torched the BayanTel-RCPI relay station in Bula, Camarines Sur, for failing to pay the demanded ‘revolutionary tax.’ — Celso Amo