Rebels burn P20-M worth equipment in Surigao del
Sur; investigation ongoing
By Nida Grace B. Tranquilan
SURIGAO DEL SUR, Sept. 9 (PIA) -- On the night
of Sept 4, 100 unidentified fully armed men wearing military uniform
(camouflage) burned heavy equipment of the Concepcion Basic Builders Inc (CBBI),
damaging a crane; a welding machine; a generator; one concrete vibrator; one
back hoe; one pay loader; one boom truck; two dump trucks, and one unit
chainsaw with an estimated value to P20 million, reported the Philippine
National Police.
The Provincial Peace and Order Council (PPOC)
here chaired by Gov. Johnny Pimentel immediately created a fact-finding
committee to look into the latest atrocity. The committee is made up of people
from the Department of Local Government, National Police, the 36IB Phil Army,
the Department of Public Works and the Philippine Information Agency.
According to police report, the heavy equipment
are owned by CBBI based in Cabadbaran, Agusan del Norte; the perpetrators are
said to be members of the Communist Party of the Philippines/New People's
Army/National Democratic Front.
The following day, Sept. 5, troops of the 29IB,
while conducting pursuit operation, engaged in a firefight that lasted for
about 20 minutes in Sitio Kiskis, Barangay Siagao of same municipality.
This resulted to the recovery of one cadaver who
was allegedly a member of the suspected group; the body was brought to the
municipal hall for post mortem and identification.
In an interview with one of the members of the
fact-finding team, it was revealed that sometime February this year, a CBBI
staff said unidentified individuals demanded a 3-percent share of the total
project cost, but CBBI ignored it but failed to report it to the police.
(NGBT/PIA-Surigao del Sur)
