Suspected rebels kill farm's security officer

NORTH COTABATO, Philippines - Communist rebels stormed on Monday a palm oil plantation in Barangay Gambudes in Arakan town and executed its security officer after disarming him and his followers, police said.

The attack by the New People’s Army (NPA) at a farm on contested lands in Barangay Gambudes came just as another band of NPAs ambushed a team of soldiers and militiamen in nearby Tulunan town, killing eight of them and wounding two others. 

The controversial palm oil plantation is jointly owned by a local investor and a partner based in Davao City.

Villagers had complained of abuses by the slain plantation security chief, Glen Ariola, and his men, armed with military-type assault rifles and shoulder-fire grenade launchers.

Ariola was allegedly known for his rudeness in dealing with ordinary farmers complaining of encroachment on private lands by the palm firm oil, partly owned by a businessman who tried, but lost in his bid for the mayoral post of Matalam town in the province during the May 13 local elections.

Police investigators said the NPAs, disguised as Philippine Army soldiers, subdued Ariola and his men without firing a single shot and managed to collect their firearms without any resistance.

Probers quoted witnesses as saying that Ariola was dragged by the rebels in an open field near the barangay center, forced him to kneel and shot him twice in the head with an M-14 rifle, killing him on the spot.

Local farmers and the management of the plantation that employed Ariola are locked in land disputes.

Ariola and his men were implicated more than two months ago  in the murder of a Manobo chieftain, Henry Bunsuran, whose clan is complaining of being driven away from their ancestral lands surrounding the plantation.

The NPAs that raided the farm hurriedly left after executing Ariola and brought with them the assault rifles they collected from company guards.