Army, PNP hunt down suspected NPAs in burning of construction equipment in S. Cotabato

From the Philippine News Agency (Dec 9): Army, PNP hunt down suspected NPAs in burning of construction equipment in S. Cotabato

Police and military forces have launched a joint manhunt against suspected New Peoples Army (NPA) guerillas who torched three heavy equipment of a road construction company in an attack that also left two security guards guards killed and five others wounded.

Supt. Jose Briones, South Cotabato police provincial director, said pursuit operations are still ongoing in the borders of Lake Sebu and Surallah towns, both in South Cotabato.

Mayor Antonio Fungan of Lake Sebu said the burning of equipment in Sitio Lamsuguing, Barangay Lamfugon occurred at past 9 p.m.

George Cardos, chief security head of Gemma Construction, said about 20 heavily armed men barged inside the construction site and poured gasoline on parked heavy equipment then set them on fire.

Cardos said the suspects ordered the security guard to lay down after disarming them of low caliber firearms and burned the equipment.

Other guerrillas fired at other security guards, leaving four of them injured. Their guns were taken by the attackers.

Cardos said the armed men were chanting communist slogan as they leave the area while the two backhoes and a bulldozer were blazing.

The communist guerrillas have been mulcting the construction company which ignored the demand, he added.

Fungan said Gemma Construction was working on a nationally-funded road project from Barangay Upper Sepaka, Surallah to Barangay Lamfugon, Lake Sebu, all in South Cotabato.

Clearing operations were still going on with bomb experts inspecting land mines left by the armed men.

The Army’s 27th Infantry Battalion have deployed government forces in the construction site to prevent similar attacks in the future.

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