Power barge attack plunges Basilan in darkness

GUNMEN attacked Monday night the National Power Corporation (Napocor) power barge, sending Basilan province in total darkness, officials said Tuesday.

Zamboanga Peninsula police spokesman Chief Inspector Ariel Huesca said the attack happened around 10:15 p.m. Monday, adding the power barge number 119 of the Napocor is moored at the shore of sitio Palar, Tabuk village, Isabela City, the capital of Basilan province.

Huesca said Basilan was plunged to total darkness as the Napocor personnel were forced to shut down the facility since the attack destroyed the power barge’s fuse.

The attack was carried out by unidentified gunmen aboard two motorized bancas that passed through the Malamawi channel. The attackers fled toward Lantawan municipality, Huesca said.

A militiaman on duty managed to return fire but it was not clear whether any of the attackers was hit.

Colonel Carlito Galvez, commander of the Army’s 104th Infantry Brigade, said investigation is underway to identify the attackers.

Both the police and military authorities in Basilan refused to confirm whether the Abu Sayyaf bandits were responsible.

Galvez has deployed additional troops to guard the power facility to prevent a repetition of the incident, as the Napocor personnel are working to restore the power service in Basilan the soonest possible time.