A BARANGAY official was killed and three
policemen with him were injured when their vehicle ran over a
landmine planted by New People's Army members who raided the
Dole farm in Makilala, North Cotabato early Thursday morning,
Maj. Armand Rico, spokesman of the AFP Eastern Mindanao Command,
said yesterday.
Rico said some 15 NPAs broke into the Dole
compound in Barangay San Vicente and burned a palletizing
equipment. A little before 6 am, the lone fatality, barangay
councilman Ricky Apolinario, arrived with policemen on the
multicab vehicle that ran over the landmine.
Rico said elements from the Army's 57th
Infantry Battalion are pursuing the rebels while Col. Alex
Estomo, commander of the 602nd Brigade, has ordered blockades
set up.
Rico said the attack might have been due to
Dole's refusal to pay revolutionary tax. He said Dole had
received an extortion letter earlier.
In the Visayas, the night before, a band of
some 20 NPAs burned a bunk house owned by the United Philippines
Drilling Corp. operating in Barangay Nabulao, Sipalay City,
Negros Occidental.
The armed suspects believed to be members of
the Komiteng Larangan-South West headed by Raniel Cellon alias
Ka Kumpol, did not harm the mining firm's workers but stole the
shotgun of a security guard and the cellphones and personal
belongings of the employes before leaving.
1Lt. Joselito Dalida, 61st Infantry Battalion
Civil Military Operations chief, said the attack was due to the
mining firm's failure to pay revolutionary tax.
Two months ago, suspected rebels also burned
three delivery trucks of Tanduay Distillery Corp. and two
sugarcane transloading stations in Escalante City and Toboso,
raided and destroyed mining equipment in Calatrava, and took the
firearms of two security guards at Campomanes Port in Sipalay
City, police records showed.
Region 6 police director Isagani Cuevas
yesterday ordered the 6th Regional Mobile Group to coordinate
with the Philippine Army for a manhunt against the rebels now on
a rampage in Negros.
Col. Honorato de los Reyes, 303rd Infantry Brigade commander,
said the attacks in Negros show the desperation of the NPA. -
Victor Reyes and Gilbert Bayoran
