Troops pursue communist rebels who burned cargo truck in N. Cotabato

From the Philippine News Agency (Apr 4): Troops pursue communist rebels who burned cargo truck in N. Cotabato

MAKILALA, North Cotabato -- Police and Army forces here are hunting down the suspected New People's Army (NPA) rebels who torched Monday night an 18-wheeler container truck loaded with bananas for export along a highway here.

Chief Inspector Elias Colonia, Makilala police chief, said the joint pursuit operation was immediately conducted following the burning of the truck at around 8 p.m. in Sitio Flortam, Barangay Batasan here.

Colonia said elements of the Makilala police and 39th Infantry Battalion quickly put up roadblocks to prevent the suspects from fleeing towards Mt. Apo, the country’s highest peak.

According to the cargo truck driver, Toto Omar, the armed men ordered him to disembark at gunpoint. They told him he won’t be harmed and that they were only after the truck. After the driver disembarked, the suspects poured gasoline on the truck.

The trailer truck is owned and operated by Paglas Corporation of Vice Mayor Tong Paglas of Datu Paglas, Maguindanao.

Investigators said the incident damaged at least PHP7 million worth of bananas for export and the vehicle.

Last month, communist rebels also torched a passenger bus owned by Yellow Bus Line, Inc. in the secluded area of Barangay San Vicente, also in Makilala.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=977404