BUTUAN CITY – Suspected members of the communist New People’s Army (NPA) burned construction equipment on Saturday night in Purok 10, Barangay Mat-I, Surigao City.
In a report, the Surigao del Norte Police Provincial Office (SDNPPO) said the construction equipment, a road roller, is owned by JMT Construction.
The said construction company is currently implementing road construction in the area, the report added.
Initial police investigation said the refusal of the owner of the construction company to give extortion money to the rebels was the main reason for the destruction of the equipment.
The equipment costs around PHP3 million.
In an interview Sunday morning, 1Lt. Edmar C. Colagong, 29 Infantry Battalion’s civil-military operations officer, told the Philippine News Agency that more or less 10 armed men were responsible for the destruction of the said equipment.
He added that the armed men belong to Sandatahang Yunit Pampropaganda 16B (SYP16B), Guerrilla Front (GF) 16 of the Northeastern Mindanao Regional Committee (NEMRC) of the NPA.
“The 29IB troopers immediately responded upon receipt of the report. Pursuit operation is still ongoing in the area,” Colagong said.
The NPA is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States, European Union, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. (PNA)
