Wednesday, November 14, 2007 150 rebels raid banana farms in Comval By Carlo P. Mallo
AROUND 150 armed members of the New People's Army (NPA), clad in full military uniform, attacked and ransacked two banana plantations in Compostela Valley in broad daylight Monday.
One barangay kagawad was killed by the rebels while they fled towards the direction of Nabuk River.
The Provincial Police Office of Compostela Valley is now conducting hot pursuit operations against the rebel group. Superintendent Ronald dela Rosa has also mandated that checkpoints be installed in all entry and exit points of the province.
Reports from the Police Regional Office (PRO)-Southern Mindanao showed at least 150 armed members of the rebel group simultaneously attacked the plantations of the Compostela Plantation Incorporated, a subsidiary of the Sumitomo Fruits Incorporated, and the banana plantation of Dizon Farms at about 12:15 noon.
The group was led by one Africia "Kumander Lalayo" Alvarez Rosete and one alias Jason of the NPA's Front Committee 20.
Reports said the rebel group came in droves of four Isuzu Forward Trucks that attacked and disarmed the guards of Compostela Plantation Incorporated, situated in Purok 6, Sitio Pilar in Barangay Mangayon in Compostela town.
The rebel group carted away five 12-gauge shotguns, four caliber .38 revolvers, and six handheld radios.
The same rebel group then proceeded to the banana plantation of Dizon Farms, a kilometer away from the plantation of Compostela Plantation Incorporated, situated in Barangay Babag in Monkayo where they seized two baby armalite rifles, five Carbine rifles, and one handheld radio. The rebels were also able to commandeer two motorcycles from the said plantation.
While the rebels were fleeing from the Dizon Farms, a certain Dodong Juarez was shot dead during the attack.
Juarez was later identified as one of the growers of the banana plantations in the area.
Cowardice
The military meanwhile condemned the recent rebel attack.
Major Rod Sosmeña, spokesperson of the Eastern Mindanao Command, called the said attack as an act of cowardice and a pure form of terrorism.
"They keep on victimizing our people in the countryside who are contributing to the economic development in the area through the jobs generated," Sosmeña said.
The military has long berated the NPA -- the military arm of the decades-long communist movement in the country -- as nothing more than a terror group, which has long forgone of its ideologies.
Contrary to the late 70s until the early 80s when the insurgency movement was strongly felt throughout the country, they have long ceased to exist in the major metropolitans of the country.
Though still struggling for their communist ideology, the insurgency movement can now be only felt in the distant remote hinterland villages of the country, where poverty remains to be prevalent and government services scarce.
Sosmeña added that the rebels are "toying" with the human rights of the people in the far-flung villages. "They (the NPA) do not hesitate to kill anyone or have any respect for the rights of the people who get in their way," he said.
