AT LEAST P20 million worth of equipment were damaged when New People’s Army (NPA) rebels raided and bombed a transloading station Sunday night at Sitio Santa Ana, Barangay Mabini, Escalante City, Negros Occidental.
The transloading station is owned by Lopez Sugar Corporation.
Senior Superintendent Milko Lirazan, director of Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office, said Monday afternoon the suspected rebels placed improvised explosive devices (IED) in the core sampler laboratory and two cranes.
Lirazan said the total damage has not been determined yet as of this posting.
He, however, said that the core sampler laboratory has a market value of P10 million while each crane costs P5 million. The core sampler laboratory is used to determine the quality of the sugarcane.
A platform weighing scale was also damaged as well as a Fuzo hauler truck.
Lirazan said the rebels disarmed the security guard of his 12-gauge shotgun with 20 rounds of ammunition and took two Icom radio handsets.
The security guard, the watchman, the mechanic and his family, who is residing in the vicinity of the transloading station were unharmed, he said.
A similar incident also took place on March 16, 2008 when NPA rebels also burned and destroyed the transloading stations of Lopez Sugar Corp. and Victorias Milling Company at Barangay San Jose of the neighboring Toboso town.
The latest NPA atrocity was condemned by the Army’s 3rd Infantry Division.
“This is a gross violation of the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law by the CPP-NPA, which the communist group is a signatory,” said Major General Aurelio Baladad, 3rd ID commander. (PNA)