Police, Army blame NPA in burning of North Cotabato hauler truck

From the Philippine News Agency (Mar 6): Police, Army blame NPA in burning of North Cotabato hauler truck
 
Police authorities in North Cotabato have blamed the communist New Peoples’ Army (NPA) for the burning on Tuesday of a 10-wheeler truck near a sand quarry in Matalam, North Cotabato.

Chief Inspector Elias Colonia, Matalam police chief, said the NPAs had been mulcting a construction firm doing infrastructure project in remote villages. The firm rejected the rebels' extortion activities.

According to Colonia, four men brandishing assault rifles casually approached the truck parked along a road in Barangay Estado at 2 p.m., ordered its driver to leave, and burned the vehicle using kerosene.

Before fleeing, the armed men divested of his wristwatch, mobile phone, and other personal belongings.

Quoting witnesses, Colonia said gunmen were last seen fleeing towards Barangay Esperanza, President Roxas town, a known community infiltrated by NPA guerrillas.

Colonia said investigators have been receiving feedback from barangay folks that four men that set the truck on fire were members of the NPA.

Initial cost of damage was pegged at P1.3 million.

Colonel Nilo Vinluan, 57th Infantry Battalion chief, said the NPAs had been mulcting multi-national firms, construction companies and even a town mayor in North Cotabato as the revolutionary movement had lost mass base support.

Last week, the rebels set off a land mine on a convoy of Mayor Jaime Mahimpit of President Roxas after the town executive ignored a demand of P1 million by NPAs for them not to harass a road construction project.

Mahimpit escaped unhurt but three of his escorts were hurt.

Vinluan said the people in communities where the NPAs operate should stop supporting the movement “because they are no longer working for the people but for their own interest.”

Hinterlands of President Roxas, Makilala and Magpet, all in North Cotabato are known NPA infiltrated communities. In nearby Bansalan, Davao del Sur, four emergency workers were hurt when the NPA set off a landmine on a passing ambulance carrying wounded civilians following an NPA-military clash last week.

Following the series of atrocities blamed on the NPAs, both Colonia and Vinluan have appealed to the general public to report to authorities sightings of suspected NPAs in their areas to avoid violence.

Vinluan said the Army will stay in areas where there are still terrorist threats despite calls by militant groups and suspected NPA supporters for military pull out.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=622575