NPA burns construction equipment in Misamis

MANILA, Philippines -  Suspected New People’s Army rebels on Sunday burned six backhoes and a payloader owned by a company that reportedly refused to give in to their extortion demands, the military said yesterday. 

Lt. Col. Eugenio Osias IV, spokesman for the Army’s 4th division, said the incident occurred at around 7:50 p.m. in Barangay Kagumahan in Kinoguitan, Misamis Oriental. 

The burned construction equipment were owned by Golden Horn Co., which was hired by Del Monte Philippines Inc. to construct ditches in the area. 

“The equipment were burned allegedly because Golden Horn Co. and Del Monte Philippines Inc. refused to pay the so-called revolutionary taxes of the New People’s Army (NPA),” Osias said.  

Golden Horn is still determining the amount of the burned equipment. The rebels behind the incident are believed to be members of the NPA Guerilla Front 4B.

“This incident caused loss of employment for the workers of the said company and delayed the development in Misamis Oriental,” Osias said.

He said the rebels also torched an equipment of the PTFI Wood Processing Co. and three trailer trucks last June. 

“These NPAs are really making the people suffer by robbing their source of income. They also do this to hinder the development efforts of the government,” Maj. Gen. Victor Felix, commander of the Army’s 4th division, said. 

Col. James Jacob, commander of the Army’s 403rd brigade, said efforts are underway to bring the insurgents to justice. 

Communist rebels extorted around P300 million from businesses last year, higher than the almost P100 million collected in 2010, military data showed.

Meanwhile, some 15 to 20 NPA rebels engaged members of a joint police-military team in Barangay Doña Telesfora, Tubay, Agusan del Norte Sunday morning. 

Caraga police director Chief Superintendent Carmelo Valmoria in a text message said he ordered a manhunt for the rebels who left some of their firearms, ammunition and other personal belongings at the encounter site. 

A report from the Tubay police stated that the NPA rebels were spotted while government forces were patrolling a concession area of S.R. Metals Inc.

A caliber .45 pistol, four backpacks an M-16 rifle, 200-meter long wire, 92 bullets, four kettles, three hammocks and documents containing information about the mining firm were among those recovered from the encounter site.             – With Ben Serrano