MANILA, Philippines – Armed rebels believed to be members of the New People’s Army burned heavy equipment in a quarry site in Surigao City early Thursday, a military spokesman said.
In a statement, 4th Infantry Division spokesman Major Eugenio Osias IV said that the rebels from the NPA’s Guerrilla Front 16 of the North Eastern Mindanao Committee burned down two payloaders and one dumptruck owned by a certain Felix Chua at around 5 a.m. at Sitio (sub-village) Aton, Barangay (village) Danao.
Authorities estimated the damage at about P8 million.
Quoting initial reports, Osias said that rebels burned the equipment because the owner failed to meet the amount being demanded by the NPA.
Nevertheless, Osias said that authorities were still investigating the motive behind the latest attack.
Meanwhile, elements of the 30th Infantry “Python” Battalion under Lieutenant Colonel Vincent Iringan began pursuit operations to catch the rebels while local police are preparing to file criminal cases against the group.
For his part, Major General Victor Felix, AFP Commander, 4th Infantry Division slammed the latest atrocity.
“If indeed the NPAs were the ones responsible for this incident, it only proves that what they have and what they fight for as an organization are based on senseless and selfish interests only. This is no longer about ideology and principles; this is only about the sickening greed of each member to accumulate wealth and money without any consideration of the effect of this to our hungry and suffering brothers and sisters,” Felix said in the same statement.