Army aids South Cotabato police in preventing arson attack vs. bus companies

From the Philippine News Agency (Dec 16): Army aids South Cotabato police in preventing arson attack vs. bus companies

The Army's 27th Infantry Division has deployed military patrol vehicles along major highways in South Cotabato to thwart arson cases by suspected New Peoples Army (NPA) against bus companies, an Army spokesperson said Friday.

Captain Marvin Gammad, chief of 27th IB civil-militry operations (CMO), said the move was in partnership with the Philippine National Police (PNP) following the burning of a Yellow Bus Line (YBL) unit in Barangay Poblacion here on Tuesday night.

Five men who introduced themselves as NPA members torched the bus at around 7:00 p.m., the fourth bus attacked by armed men in Region 12 since Nov. 13. Two YBL buses were earlier torched by armed men in Tupi, South Cotabato and Kiamba, Sarangani on Nov. 13 and Nov. 27, respectively.

Two days later, armed men claiming to be NPAs tried, but failed, to burn a Husky bus in Tantangan, South Cotabato. The bus came from Tacurong City, where the suspects boarded, heading to Koronadal City.

Gammad said that in the Sto Nino arson incident, two suspects boarded the bus in Isulan town in Sultan Kudarat. Upon reaching the Sto Nino bus station, three more men boarded the bus.

After it left the terminal or about five minutes later, two men asked the driver to pull over so they can disembark. As soon as the two jumped off the bus, three others quickly boarded the bus and told the driver to divert the unit towards a dirt road where more armed men with gasoline and lighters met them.

"They have the same modus operandi, they did not harm anyone, driver, conductor or passenger," Senior Supt. Franklin Alvero, South Cotabato police director, said. "They were all after the bus."

Alvero said investigators are looking at extortion and business rivalry as among the possible motives.
Capt. Gammad said that to prevent similar incidents, especially during the holidays and rush hours, military vehicles will patrol the bus routes and escort them if necessary.

YBL, one of the four bus firms operating in South Cotabato, has not issued any statement on the incident. Other bus firms plying the South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat and General Santos City routes include Rural Transit, Husky bus company and Mindanao Star bus firm.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=948992