THE Davao City Police Office (DCPO) is still investigating the burning of a truck at Sitio Banarao in Barangay Talandang, Tugbok District in Davao City on July 9, Monday evening.
A hauler van owned by the Dole Philippines Inc. (Stanfilco Division) in Davao City was reportedly torched by four unidentified armed men at Sitio Banarao around 7 p.m., Monday, July 9, 2018.
DCPO spokesperson Senior Inspector Maria Teresita Gaspan said the Tugbok police still has no lead on who are behind the incident as of Tuesday, July 10, 2018.
"There is still no confirmation whether the incident is connected to the members of the New People's Army (NPA). The investigation is still pre-mature. We cannot pinpoint somebody," Gaspan said.
Initial investigation conducted by the Tugbok Police Station revealed that the suspects doused all the tires of the truck and set on fire. Dole-Stanfilco security supervisor Allan Ibañez reported the incident to the DCPO.
Ibañez said the truck that was torched by the unidentified suspects contains 233 boxes of Cavendish banana fruit.
The truck was traveling along Suarez Quarry at Sitio Banarao when armed men stopped it.
The company driver Giovannie Autida who was along with their farm clerk Dina Ligtas were forced to disembark and hand over their cash, before their truck was set on fire.
Arson cases connected to NPA has been reported earlier.
In almost simultaneous attacks, the rebels torched 10 road-building heavy equipment on March 31 in different areas in Davao City.
But the motive of the recent incident and the value of the damages have yet to be established by police in coordination with the military, Gaspan said, adding that no one was hurt in the latest incident. (With Amanie Ya'cob, MSU-Marawi Intern)