Solar farm patrols increased, attackers called extortionists

From the Visayan Daily Star (Sep 18): Solar farm patrols increased, attackers called extortionists

The Philippine Army and the National Police yesterday dismissed the attack on a solar power farm in Cadiz City, Negros Occidental, as plain and simple extortion, as its management had refused to comply with the demands of the perpetrators.

Senior Supt. Rodolfo Castil, provincial police director of Negros Occidental, saidyesterday that they have increased their patrols and visibility operations in the area, in coordination with the Philippine Army, to avoid a duplication of the incident.

Police investigations showed that about 17 armed men, suspected to be New People's Army rebels, passed by the house of a certain Isagani Cabrera at about 6:20 p.m. Thursday at Purok Sandra 1 in Brgy. Tinampaan, Cadiz City.

The suspects, who spoke in both Hiligaynon and Cebuano, went to the Helios Solar Energy Corporation farm, where they fired upon it, using automatic rifles and an M203 grenade launcher, and also lobbed fragmentation grenades.

NOBODY HURT

Damaged were 90 solar panels and a CCTV installed on post number 43, the police said. But no one was hurt during the attack.

Recovered from the scene were 109 empty cartridges of assorted firearms, six empty shells of an M-203 grenade launcher, seven live ammunition of a .45 caliber pistol and garand rifle, two long magazines of M-16 rifles containing three ammunition and two firing pins of hand grenades.

Maj. Gen. Jon Aying, 3rd Infantry Division commander, yesterday said that the New People's Army in Negros Island is once again showing off their true nature as an anti-people and anti-development armed group when they attacked the solar power farm.

Before the attack, Aying said it was reported that the solar company received an extortion demand from the Roselyn Jean Pelle Command, Northern Negros Front of the NPA , in June 2015.

EXTORTION

Aying, who stressedthat the company's refusal to yield to the NPA's extortion demand was the motive of the attack, said “The attack is an intentional destruction of developmental and economic installation which provide sufficient supply of solar energy.

Despite the attack, Aying lauded the solar company for rejecting the NPA's selfish demand even if the refusal is tantamount to the destruction of the vital installation.

“Refusal of the NPA's extortion demand is also equivalent to disapproval of their terroristic acts like killings, arsons and rebellion” he added.

Col.EliezerLosanes, 303rd Infantry Brigade commander, yesterday said that Army soldiers responded to the incident but were not able to intercept the rebels.

We cleared some unexploded M-203 shells to enable Helios to conduct repairs of damaged properties, Losanes said.

Castil said the Helios Solar Energy Corp. has long been receiving numerous extortion letters from the armed group but they were ignored by the management, he added.

“As much as possible, we are discouraging businesses from complying with the demands of extortionists,”Castil said.

DAMAGE ESTIMATE

Damage the solar power farm was placed at P3.1 million, said Lt. Col. Darrel Banez, 62nd Infantry Battalion commander, based on estimates of the management.

The P10 billion Helios Solar Energy Corp. solar farm in Barangay Tinampa-an, Cadiz City, Negros Occidental, was developed through a partnership between Gregorio Araneta Inc. and Soleq, one of Southeast Asia's largest solar independent power producers, whose mother company is Equis.

The 132.5 megawatt solar generation facility with 427,392 solar panels located in a 176-hectare area, was inaugurated in March last year.

Castil said pursuit operations were still ongoing as of yesterday.

Banez, meanwhile encouraged the people to report sightings of armed men in their areas, and condemned the barbaric act of the armed group responsible for the atrocity.

http://www.visayandailystar.com/2017/September/18/topstory2.htm