ZAMBOANGA CITY – Communist rebels have torched five container vans of a banana plantation in Compostela Valley province, a top military official said Sunday.

Major General Carlos Holganza, commander of the Army's 10th Infantry Division, said the incident took place around 8:30 a.m. Saturday in the village of Camanlangan, New Bataan town, Compostela Valley province.

Holganza said the five container vans owned by Dole-Stanfilco, were burned by 15 fully armed communist rebels led by a certain Ka Ondo of Local Terrorist Front-27 (LTF-27) of the New People’s Army.

Holganza said that initial investigation revealed that the motive of the incident is the refusal of Dole-Stanfilco to give-in to the rebel’s extortion demands. (Bong Garcia/Sunnex)