NPA rebels torch quarry equipment in Rizal

LUCENA CITY—Suspected New People’s Army (NPA) rebels burned down on Sunday heavy equipment owned by a quarry company in Rodriguez, Rizal, that refused to pay “revolutionary tax,” the military said.

Colonel Generoso Bolina, spokesperson of the Southern Luzon Command (Solcom), said around 20 communist guerrillas wearing Army fatigue uniforms swooped down on Sitio Tabak in Barangay San Rafael and set on fire two backhoes, a bulldozer, truck and loader owned by Pacific Aggregates.

He said the rebels also took with them two computer processing units and two .38-cal. revolvers seized from company guards.

Bolina said the NPA rebels temporarily held the people going in and out of the company site and confiscated all cell phone batteries, which they returned before escaping.

He said the rebels talked with the people and defended their punitive actions against the quarry operator, whom they accused of destroying the environment, paying low salary to its workers and nonpayment of the so-called revolutionary tax.

Citing witnesses, Bolina said the communist raiders were accompanied by a female warrior who was taking videos of the incident.

The rebels withdrew towards the mountainous area after the burning incident. He said Pacific Aggregates is owned by a certain “Mr. Lopez.”  Delfin T. Mallari Jr., Inquirer Southern Luzon