BAGUIO CITY—Masked men who identified themselves as New People’s Army rebels torched two trucks filled with ore concentrates at 7 a.m. on Thursday along Philex Road in the Benguet town of Itogon.
The trucks owned by the Philex Mining Corporation were shipping ore to Poro Point in San Fernando City, La Union province when they were waylaid along Sitio (sub-village) Tapak in Ampucao Central village by armed men, said lawyer Eduardo Aratas, legal officer of Philex’ Padcal mine operations.
He said that the drivers and escorts of the trucks were not harmed. But both trucks were set on fire before the group fled.
Police authorities were investigating the incident, and have launched pursuit operations against the armed men. RAM/rga
RELATED STORIES