Pineapple producer loses P4 M to rebels

From the Philippine Star (Apr 16): Pineapple producer loses P4 M to rebels

A leading producer of pineapples and other food products said it lost at least P4 million in revenues due to continuous attacks by rebel forces on its plantations in Mindanao.

Reports said the New People’s Army (NPA) recently torched some P4 million worth of farm equipment at a farm of Del Monte Philippines.

The attack occurred a week after the government and National Democratic Front (NDF) agreed to a joint ceasefire.

Agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) said the ceasefire has yet to take effect as its guidelines and ground rules are still to be approved by both parties.

“The latest act of violence by the NPA at the Del Monte plantation indicates not only the lack of coordination between the insurgents on the ground and their political counterparts based overseas, but also the lack of sincerity of the communist group to forge a genuine peace deal with the government,” ARBs spokesman Eduardo Maningo said.

The incident at the Del Monte plantation is the latest in the series of attacks perpetrated by the NPA on Mindanao’s pineapple and banana plantations.

Earlier this month, the re-bels burned P7 million worth of facilities owned by another pineapple producer Dole Philippines Inc. in General Santos City.

“Such attacks have intensified over the past few weeks even as backchannel talks to get the peace negotiations restarted were being conducted between the government and the NDF,” Maningo said.

ARBs in Mindanao expressed alarm over the heightened rebel attacks on banana and pineapple plantations, saying these can jeopardize the country’s economy and put at risk the Philippines’ standing as one of the world’s largest banana exporters.

NPA rebels resorted to burning equipment and facilities in fruit plantations in Mindanao to force companies to pay them revolutionary taxes.

President Duterte earlier hesitated in resuming talks with the communists, saying the rebels should first stop their extortion activities, release their captives and refrain from claiming any territory.

http://www.philstar.com/nation/2017/04/16/1690632/pineapple-producer-loses-p4-m-rebels