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Tuesday, January 13, 2004
Military tightens security at vital installations
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has tightened security at critical installations throughout the country following a series of daring attacks by communist rebels over the weekend including an attack on a major power plant servicing Luzon.
Armed Forces spokesperson Daniel A. Lucero said more than 1,000 soldiers have been deployed to track down New People's Army (NPA) rebels who raided the National Power Corp. (Napocor) plant in Calaca, Batangas, which led to the deaths of four Air Force men and three insurgents.
Lieutenant Colonel Lucero identified the fatalities as Airman Ryan Cabalida, Sergeants Edgardo Micua and Erwin Rigos and Air Force 2nd Class Reynaldo Carandang.
They will receive posthumous honors for their gallantry, Lucero added.
Lucero said the Napocor had been receiving extortion letters from the NPA since June, prompting the power firm to ask for Air Force men to reinforce the plant’s security force.
Lucero said the rebels were out to knock down the plant and trigger a Luzon-wide blackout.
“Our men recovered containers of gasoline with wicks, proving that the real intent was to destroy and impair the plant,” Lucero said.
Napocor officials said Luzon would have suffered a 12-hour blackout had the rebels successfully disabled the plant.
Lucero said checkpoints have been set up by 202nd Infantry Brigade to catch 12 rebels believed to have been wounded during the encounter.
High-powered ammunition including three rounds for M203 grenade launchers were also recovered from the scene, while at least 14 backpacks were confiscated that yielded subversive documents.
Many members of the rebel band led by a "Ka Noli" traveled by boat from Mindoro to join the attack, it was learned.
Meanwhile, Defense Sec. Eduardo Ermita Sunday ordered intensified military operations against communist rebels.
Ermita also belittled the NPA assault, saying the attack could probably be a concerted effort by the NPA to show the government that they are still a force to reckon with.
"Our statistics from Dec. 10, 2003 to Jan. 6, 2004 showed that there were hardly any violent incidents reported," Ermita said, "This means that since there was an obvious decrease of NPA strength, what happened Saturday was just a show of force."
Communist rebels set off an explosive device at the Globe Telecom cell site in Dumarao, Capiz, last Friday but failed to take out the tower because of the timely arrival of soldiers.
Shortly after midnight Saturday, about 15 heavily-armed rebels on motorcycles set fire to three buses parked at the Ceres Bus terminal in Canlaon City,
Negros Oriental. Two of the buses were destroyed.
A bus driver was brought to the Canlaon Primary Hospital after suffering slight injuries in the incident.
Police officials said the attack could be the result of the bus operator’s refusal to pay revolutionary taxes to the communist rebels.
In Cabanatuan City, rebels hurled an improvised bomb at the Royce Suzuki Motors on Maharlika Highway. The device exploded but no one was hurt. Another bomb was recovered outside the shop’s branch on Burgos Street.
The attacks were the first major offensives by the NPA since Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) chair Jose Maria Sison CPP ordered raids on government targets this year. Miko Santos
(January 13, 2004 issue)
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