NPAs burn crane in Surigao Del Norte

From the Philippine News Agency (Feb 6): NPAs burn crane in Surigao Del Norte

Ten armed men burned heavy equipment, a crane, used to construct a bridge along the national highway in Barangay San Pedro, Alegria, Surigao Del Norte Tuesday night.

Lt. Joe Patrick A. Martinez, spokesperson of the army’s 42nd Battalion, reported here the suspect were believed members of the New People’s Army (NPA) Guerilla Front 16 of North Eastern Mindanao Regional Committee (NEMRC).

The culprits poured gasoline and then burned the said crane followed by a gunfire to sow terror among the populace in the area and immediately fled in a South East direction, Martinez said.

He said the crane truck was owned by Dumlao construction, the contractor of the ongoing bridge repair in Barangay San Pedro, Algeria, for alleged failure of the owner to pay taxes extorted by the NPA.

The local police along with fire personnel went to the area to extinguish the fire and proceeded with the investigation of the case, Martinez added. He said elements of the army’s 30th Infantry Battalion was deployed to augment the local police chasing after the armed rebels.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=494902