Armed men torch 5 heavy equipment in South Cotabato, police manhunt on

Armed men torch 5 heavy equipment in South Cotabato, police manhunt on

Police and military authorities here have launched manhunt against about 20 armed men who introduced themselves as communist rebels and torched five heavy equipment in an outskirt village Tuesday night.

Police have sought the help of village officials in running after the suspects who claimed they were New Peoples Army guerillas.

About 100 armed men surrounded the Happy Living Quarry Site in the borders of Barangay Conception and Magsaysay, disarmed the lone security guard and torched two dump trucks and three pay loaders.

It was the 9th arson case involving several heavy equipment and passenger buses in the SOCCSKSARGEN region since Nov. 13, police record showed.

Supt. Barney Condes, Koronadal City police director, told DXOM-AM Radyo Bida Koronadal, that three armed men approached security guard Carlo Baron of Supreme Security Agency at about 8 p.m. He was the lone security guard at the time of the attack.

Baron said the suspects were armed with long and short firearms.

"They told me they were only after the heavy equipment," Baron said. "At gunpoint, they took my firearm and other guns inside the bunkhouse."

"I have no idea why they burned our equipment, they did not told me why," he said.

Other armed men simultaneously doused gasoline and set on fire the quarry equipment then left.

South Cotabato Gov. Daisy Avance Fuentes condemned the arson and expressed alarm over the rash of NPA atrocities.

“Why is this happening when there is supposedly government peace process with the communists and a ceasefire is in effect,” the visibly bothered Fuentes said.

“The hands of our security officials are tied because of the ceasefire and the peace talks the Duterte government is pushing with the communist rebels,” Fuentes said.

Four buses have been torched in South Cotabato and Sarangani since Nov. 13. Incidents of arson involving construction equipment in Sultan Kudarat, South Cotabato and Gen. Santos City were also reported by police.

“If these were not theirs, they should come out and declare they have nothing to do with it. But to date, no statement from the rebel groups,” she added.

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