Suspected NPA rebs face arson charges

BACOLOD CITY ,Philippines —Eleven suspected members of the New People’s Army (NPA) are facing arson charges for allegedly burning a farm tractor in E. B. Magalona, Negros Occidental June last year.

The Bureau of Fire Protection filed the charges before the Provincial Prosecutor’s Office of Negros Occidental last Thursday.

Named respondents in the case were Hernando Llorente Jr. , alias Ka Odoy; Arlo Vargas, alias Ka Blas Poloy; Rogelio Posadas, alias Ka Poten/Isko Roman/Roger/Philip; Charity Amacan-Villar, alias Ka Lumen/Nelia, Benhur Perez; Justiniano Palay, alias Ka Paloy; and those with aliases Ka Koing Alba, Ka Jamil, Ka Chedenga, Ka Jay and Ka Mark, who are all at-large.

According to military and police records, the burning of the tractor, owned by Arturo Ledesma, was triggered by Ledesma’s refusal to pay revolutionary taxes.

The raid at Ledesma’s hacienda in Hacienda Teresa was allegedly led by Llorente who burned the Kubota 7500 tractor and disarmed hacienda security guard Mario Lachica of his M16 assault rifle with seven magazines of ammunition.

Before the rebels left, Llorente fired his M-16 assault rifle, hitting another security guard identified as Christopher Herza, witnesses said.

Four other farm tractors were also burned by suspected rebels in Brgy. San Isidro E.B. Magalona and in Brgy. Carabalan Himamaylan City last year and, recently, in Brgy. Cabacungan La Castellana, also allegedly for failure of the owners to give in to the extortion demands.

Last Tuesday, a group of NPA rebels also torched a tractor at the sugarcane farm of the family of Bacolod City Councilor Al Victor Espino in La Castellana, Negros Occidental.

In a statement, the Leonardo Panaligan Command of the New People’s Army-Central Negros claimed responsibility for the incident.

Espino said his family received extortion letters from the NPA’s Boy Gatmaitan Command in October, November and December last year but they also refused to grant the rebels’ demands. –JMO