Suspected members of the New People’s Army (NPA) on Thursday burned heavy construction equipment in separate incidents in Occidental Mindoro and Catanduanes, both in southern Luzon, a belated military report said Friday.
A group of 50 suspected rebels under a certain Cipriano Liabres alias Opong torched a backhoe and three dump trucks owned by Goldrich Company in Barangay Balao in Abra de Ilog town in Occidental Mindoro at 4 p.m. Thursday, the report said.
According to 80th Infantry Battalion (IB) commanding officer Col. Rogelio Percol, the burning happened near the site of a new pier being built by the company.
A similar incident also occurred at 3:30 p.m. in Barangay Barihay in San Andres town, Catanduanes, where another suspected NPA group burned a backhoe owned by Sunwest Water and Electric Corp., according to the military report. Elements of the Army’s 83rd IB in Catanduanes conducted strike operations to hunt down the suspected rebels, who reportedly fled to a nearby mountainous area after the incident.
Commanding officer of the 83rd IB Lt. Col. Danilo P. Aquino said the burning happened while a maintenance operation for a circumferential road was being performed. Southern Luzon Command (SOLCOM) commander Lt. Gen. Roland Detabali said that the burning incidents are “clear manifestations" of the rebel group’s plans to deter development in these areas. The NPA is the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP)’s armed wing.
President Benigno Aquino III said in his first State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday that he is open to a ceasefire and peace talks with the CPP-led National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP). (See: Aquino ready to talk peace with MILF, CPP-NPA-NDF) The military expressed support for Aquino’s proposal as a way to solve the decades-long insurgency problem, but NDFP chief political consultant Jose Ma. Sison rejected calls for a ceasefire before peace negotiations begin. (See: AFP backs Aquino call to resume peace talks with NDFP)—Andreo C. Calonzo/JV
