Communist rebels burn poultry farm in Zamboanga del Sur

ZAMBOANGA CITY -– New People’s Army (NPA) members have torched two poultry farm buildings after the owner failed to accede to their demand payment of revolutionary taxes in the province of Zamboanga del Sur, officials disclosed Saturday.

Alberto Caber, Army’s 1st Infantry Division spokesman, said the incident took place at 12:30 a.m. Friday in Barangay Dalaon, Molave, Zamboanga del Sur.

Investigation showed that seven NPA members, including an amazon, barged into the compound of the poultry owned by Onyx Go and herded the workers into one corner, Caber said.

Some of the NPA members frisked and confiscated the mobile phones of the workers while the rest of them started pouring gasoline into the two buildings and set it ablaze, Caber added.

The NPAs, who were clad in bonnet masks, fled and later called Go through a mobile phone to inform the businessman of the incident, he said.

The NPAs also warned Go to heed their demands so that his poultry farm will be spared from further attack, he added.

Major General Ricardo Rainier Cruz III, First Infantry Division, has directed his troops to intensify security operations to deter or prevent similar incidents from happening to protect the local poultry industry.

“We must intensify intelligence operations and maximize information-sharing with the PNP [Philippine National Police] counterparts and other stakeholders,” Cruz added.

The attackers were reported to belong to the NPA’s Western Mindanao Regional Party Committee operating here in the region. (PNA)