File photo shows a bus burned by gunmen in Koranadal
Authorities have begun stricter security measures in South Cotabato after yet another bus, the fourth since last month, was burned by still unidentified gunmen Wednesday night along a busy street in Koronadal City.
The burning of the Husky Bus unit, owned by the General Santos City-based BIOCOOP transport services, happened around 7:15 p.m. along the national highway in Barangay Morales, Superintendent Franklin Alvero, South Cotabato police director, said.
The bus, which was traveling from Cotabato City to General Santos City, was the second owned by the firm to be torched.
Quoting witnesses, police said a man boarded the bus in Tacurong City and, on reaching Barangay Morales, asked the driver to stop the bus so he could get off. When the driver pulled over, between six to eight men armed with handguns hopped in and ordered him to leave.
The man who got on at Tacurong asked other passengers to alight with him because the bus would be burned and then the other men doused the vehicle with gasoline and set it on fire.
Mayor Peter Miguel called the arson “well planned” but said the attackers could be from outside the city.
On November 27, gunmen burned a Husky bus in Tantangan, South Cotabato.
Two other buses, owned by Yellow Bus Lines, were torched by men who claimed to be communist guerillas in Tupi and Sto. Nino towns.
YBL has lost four buses since November 13, with two units burned in Kiamba, Sarangani, and Magsaysay, Davao del Sur, since last month.
Aside from buses, gunmen claiming to be New People’s Army guerrillas also set ablaze construction and quarry equipment in Koronadal City last week and a Dole Philippines banana plantation packing plant in Surallah, South Cotabato.
However, the men involved in the Koronadal bus arson did not identify themselves as rebels.
http://interaksyon.com/article/135517/security-in-south-cotabato-tightened-as-fourth-bus-since-nov-torched
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