Saturday, February 6, 2016

Step up vigilance, plantation owners told

From the Manila Bulletin (Feb 5): Step up vigilance, plantation owners told

Butuan City – Companies, including their contractors, have been urged to immediately report to the nearest military or police station the presence of New People’s Army (NPA) rebels in an effort to put an end to the communist group’s extortion and terrorist activities.

Food companies, pineapple and banana plantation companies and their respective contractors spread at various areas in Bukidnon province were told to immediately report to the nearest military and police outposts, stations or headquarters any suspicious individual or groups roaming in their places of work.

The appeal was made by field unit commanders of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and Philippine National Police (PNP) in the wake of a series of attacks last week by suspected NPAs on plantation farms, resulting in severe damage to equipment and other farm facilities.

“This anti-development activity of the NPA is their desperate move to coerce our helpless businessmen to submit to their demands,” said Col. Jesse Alvarez, commander of the 403rd Infantry (Peacemaker) Brigade, in a statement.
 
“We call on the companies, contractors and other business owners to cooperate with us and report immediately any imminent sense of NPA’s presence, such as their extortion letters, so that we will not be victims of these NPA rebels’ abusive rule that put the residents’ lives in danger,” Col. Alvarez said.

The 403rd Brigade commander had earlier ordered all battalion commanders and operational control (Opcon) unit commanders to step up their round-the-clock patrol in an objective to put an end to the alleged terroristic and extortion activities of the NPAs which have already damaged millions of pesos worth of equipments and farm facilities.

“This must be put to an end,” stressed the ranking area commander, in his directive to field unit commanders.

Since January 30 up to last Tuesday, heavy equipment owned by Del Monte Philippines, Incorporated and  Lapanday Pineapple Plantation Company have either been burned or damaged by attackers believed to be elements of the NPA.

http://www.mb.com.ph/step-up-vigilance-plantation-owners-told/

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