NPA, Bayan to sabotage flagship project?

ANGELES CITY — Maj. Gen. Romeo Tolentino, chief of the Armed Forces Northern Luzon Command (Nolcom), cited yesterday reports "confirming the connivance" of the militant group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) with the New People’s Army (NPA) allegedly to sabotage a flagship project of the Arroyo administration.

According to Tolentino, the alleged plot to sabotage the P21-billion Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTE) project was discussed in a meeting held last week in a former office of Bayan affiliate Anak ng Bayan in Barangay Lourdes Sur this city.

Quoting intelligence reports, he said present during the meeting were leaders of Bayan’s Pampanga chapter and the Komite sa Hilagang Kanlurang Pampanga (HKP) of the Communist Party of the Philippines’ provincial committee.

Because of the supposed sabotage plan, Tolentino said he ordered soldiers securing the project to be "doubly vigilant."

He said "deep penetration agents" of the military found out during the meeting that the Dec. 7 attack on a military detachment securing the project site in Barangay Alfonso in Concepcion, Tarlac was a "test mission."

At about 7:30 p.m. that day, 10 NPA guerrillas swooped down on the detachment of the Army’s 70th Infantry Battalion, killing militiaman Rolando Berudo.

The rebels used a van of the Tarlac Electric Cooperative which they had stolen in Barangay Sta. Maria, also in Concepcion town.

Tolentino said NPA "personalities" whom he identified only as Ka Jun and Ka Dan attended the alleged meeting with Bayan.

The four-lane, P21-billion expressway, which will connect the industrial, transport and business hubs of Subic, Clark and Tarlac, is scheduled to be finished by the end of 2007.

It is a major component of the so-called "Global Gateways" program anchored on the 10-point development agenda of President Arroyo.

The expressway will pass through Angeles City, the Pampanga towns of Mabalacat, Porac and Floridablanca, Tarlac City, Bamban and Concepcion towns in Tarlac, and Dinalupihan and Hermosa towns in Bataan.

In another development, Nolcom said two NPA fighters surrendered recently to the Charlie Company of the Army’s 56th Infantry Battalion in Barangay Camachile in Doña Remedios Trinidad, Bulacan.

Nolcom identified the two as Pricilla Santos, alias Sol and Precy, described as a "semi-legal team member" of the NPA, and Randy Mendiola, alias Gardo, said to be a squad leader.

The two reportedly gave themselves up upon the prodding of Angat Mayor Leonardo de Leon.