Police authorities in South Cotabato
province tagged members of the New People’s Army (NPA) as behind the burning of
a prime mover truck early Wednesday in the outskirts of Surallah town.
Supt. Benito Seron, Surallah police chief, said Thursday
they received reports that the three suspects who torched the truck owned by
foreign-backed banana firm Sumifru Philippines Inc. were NPA members operating
in the area.
He said they are investigating reports that the rebels have
been reportedly trying to extort “revolutionary taxes” from the company, which
is based in T’boli town.
Based on their initial investigation, he said three
unidentified men initially boarded the prime mover truck as it left Sumifru’s
packing plant in Sitio Tabudtud, Barangay New Dumangas in T’boli at past
midnight.
But after reaching Crossing Lambuntong in Barangay Lamsugod,
Surallah, he said the suspects held the truck’s driver and commandeered the
vehicle.
“They stopped the truck near a farm compound, ordered the
driver to flee and then burned it,” he said in a radio interview.
The truck’s driver, who was identified as Roel Palara Araño
of Barangay Bulacan, Malalag town in Davao del Sur, was not harmed by the
rebels.
He told police that aside from the three suspects, seven
other men were waiting at the scene of the incident.
“They were reportedly armed and identified themselves as NPA
members,” the police official said.
Seron said the driver immediately fled from the scene and
called for help from nearby residents.
Responding residents were able to put out the fire and saved
the prime mover truck from getting totally burned.
The Army’s 27th Infantry Battalion immediately launched
pursuit operations against the suspects in parts of Surallah and T’boli towns.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=771318
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