Heavy equipment worth P32M torched by alleged NPA rebels in Samar

ORMOC CITY — Heavy equipment and a generator set worth about P32 million were set on fire by suspected members of the New People’s Army (NPA) in Barangay San Francisco, Las Navas, Northern Samar early Thursday morning.

Police Staff Sergeant Leonardo Dianeto, desk officer of the Las Navas Police Station, said Engr. Ian Acebuche of CDU Construction reported to their station about the incident, which authorities surmised to have occurred around 4 a.m.

Policemen who went to the area saw the damaged heavy equipment, including a bulldozer, backhoe, loader, dump truck, prime mover, crane, grader, road roller, and welding generator set.

Engr. Ric Gerale III, a project engineer of CDU Construction, said they received a letter from an unidentified person who asked for a meeting with the owner but they ignored it.

The construction firm was tasked to finish the road concreting with a bridge that will connect Las Navas in Northern Samar to the Jipapad in Eastern Samar.