Armed men burn equipment, seize items at Isabela hydro project

ECHAGUE, Isabela—Armed men burned a drilling machine and a generator set in an attack on the Ilaguen Hydro power project on Thursday (May 18), according to a belated military report.

As many as 20 men raided the project site in far-flung Barangay (village) San Miguel at 4:30 p.m., hogtied the security guard and burned the equipment.

The group commandeered a truck and fled, allegedly after leaving a letter addressed to the company, warning of more attacks due to unpaid revolutionary taxes.

On May 19, armed men torched a payloader owned by a construction firm in Bacradal village here.

Lt. Col. Vladimir Cagara, 86th Infantry Battalion commander, said the attackers may be communist rebels. But at press time, the New People’s Army has not issued any statements about the two attacks.

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