|
Thursday, March 06, 2003
NPAs burn 4 buses of D’ Rough Riders
By Rene H. Martel
DAANBANTAYAN -- Four armed men torched two buses and damaged two others, then left behind leaflets declaring they were rebels out to punish the owners midnight Tuesday in Sitio Ibabao, Barangay Maya, Daanbantayan, Cebu.
Edward Tiu, brother of D’ Rough Riders owner William Tiu, estimated the destroyed buses at least P3.8 million.
The self-proclaimed rebels, in their leaflets, said the bus company was punished for refusing to pay revolutionary taxes and for abuses against its drivers and employees.
The same reason was cited for the burning of two other buses of the company almost a year ago in northern Cebu.
They also cited William’s “hardheadedness” for allowing his fleet to continue plying their routes, which the rebels construed as utter disregard for the plight of alleged victims of the bus company.
Edward, however, said the company did not receive any demand for revolutionary taxes and added he had reasons to believe business rivals were behind the attack.
Daanbantayan Mayor Ma. Luisa Loot also expressed reservations that rebels were to blame, pointing out that a labor dispute has gripped the company.
She said the incident could just be an inside job because one perpetrator wore a cloth mask, which rebels don’t do.
Police recovered two one-gallon containers, one of which was partially melted, while the other still contained at least a liter of gasoline; a flashlight; a sack; and at least 30 leaflets.
Shouts, heat
The men allegedly jumped off from the shores of Sitio Tagasa, about two kilometers away, and rode two motorized bancas believed to be headed for Tuburan town.
Before burning the buses, the men awakened one helper who was sleeping aboard.
One driver, however, almost got burned because he slept on top of one bus and was not seen.
Shouts from neighbors and the searing heat on his back made him jump from the roof seconds before flames engulfed the bus.
Jocelyn Pepito, 50, said she was lying in bed waiting for her husband to call around midnight when she heard footsteps and movements from where the buses were parked.
When she opened the jalousies, she saw the White Stallion bus marked “Wiggins” (GVM 123) already on fire.
Edward said some buses were renamed White Stallion and placed under the proprietorship of JT Hawkins Travelers Inc., said to be owned by a relative.
But it is still William who controls and oversees the operations of D’ Rough Riders and White Stallion buses, Edward said.
Parked at least 10 meters away from “Wiggins,” the bus marked “Stinky” (GVM 112) was likewise burning while the baggage portion of the bus labeled “Casper”, which was behind Wiggins, was also slowly being eaten by flames.
The open area that served as D’ Rough Riders garage is beside the highway in Sitio Ibabao, which is 8.4 kilometers from the town proper.
Sound asleep
Across the road, fire also started to build up at the door of the bus marked “Bill,” where 32-year-old helper Virgilio Bug-ot was sound asleep.
Bug-ot, a resident of Bandilaan, Bagay, Daanban-tayan, was awakened by a masked rebel and told to step out before gasoline was poured on the step board.
Driver Ruben Armenton, 45, however, had a close call because the rebels immediately burned “Stinky.”
Armenton slept on the bus’ roof because it was cooler outside and was roused only after hearing the shouts of residents and feeling the heat.
The “rebels” did not burn one bus parked close to some houses.
Only the baggage compartment of “Casper” bus was burned while the “Bill” bus was only slightly damaged because residents were quick to douse the flames. “Bill” resumed operation yesterday.
Pepito said she pulled her three sleeping children from their house, which was just meters away from Wiggins, and shouted for help.
That was when she saw two men wearing shorts nonchalantly walking away followed by a man carrying a pail.
Monica, Pepito’s neighbor, attested the third man had a gun in one hand and the pail in the other.
Lookout
The local police said there was a fourth person who served as lookout for the three who doused the buses with gasoline.
The man carrying a pail told her they were only out to punish “Kingkong” (William Tiu’s nickname) and would not involve others, Monica recalled.
The men left behind the leaflets at least 50 meters from the burning buses.
“Malampusong nasilotan sa upat-ka-tawong special team sa kasundalohan sa katawhan (NPA-VPC-Cebu) ang notado, mangtas ug giilang ‘lungon-sa-kalsada’, D’Rough Rider Bus sa ikaduhang higayon (The people’s army has successfully punished D’ Rough Riders, operators of rolling coffins, for the second time),” the leaflets read.
The police said VPC stood for Vicente Padayao Brigade, the name adopted by rebels that operate in Cebu’s mid-north area.
At dawn of March 30 last year, two D’ Rough Riders buses were also burned by rebels in Tabuelan and San Remigio towns, neighboring towns of Daanbantayan, because Tiu allegedly refused to pay revolutionary taxes.
As of yesterday afternoon, Daanbantayan police had yet to identify the perpetrators.
The 78th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army based in Damolog, Sogod has already mobilized its intelligence assets to assist the police in their investigation. Sun.Star Cebu |
|
|
|
 |
| click
to comment on this article or discuss it with other readers |
[return to top]
[home]
|
|
Gov't junks Sayyaf claim on Davao attack; MILF men among suspects