THE 4th Infantry Division (4ID) criticized the New People's Army (NPA) for seizing more than 1,300 sacks of rice from a warehouse in Valencia City, Bukidnon on Monday, calling the rebel group’s action as extortion.
Captain Joe Patrick Martinez, 4ID spokesperson, said the troops of the Army's 8th Infantry Battalion and Valencia City police recovered 440 sacks of rice at Purok 4 in Barangay Banlag, Valencia City on Tuesday afternoon, April 19.
The 440 sacks, Martinez said, were part of the 1,384 sacks of rice seized by rebels from a private warehouse owned by Valencia City Councilor Helen Bernal.
The NPA accused Bernal a “rice hoarder”, adding that the councilor is a "heartless trader" who allegedly abuses workers by paying them with low wages and also imposing high interest rates on farmers' loans.
Martinez said that Bernal’s defiance to give in to the demands of the revolutionary movement was the reason why the rebels raided Bernal’s warehouse. The rebels, in a statement, said that Bernal was punished for hoarding rice and the seized rice will be distributed to the hungry farmers affected by the prolonged drought.
"The fully-armed men swoop down on the said warehouse and took 470 sacks of rice using a wing van truck which was also recovered by the troops and police on Tuesday afternoon," Martinez said.
The authorities recovered 300 sacks of rice at Desiree Lastimoso’s house at Barangay Banlag, Valencia City, while another 140 sacks were found at the house of a certain Florencia Flora.
The military said the residents saw six unidentified persons who brought the rice to Lastimoso and Flora on April 18.
Martinez said the recovered rice will be returned to Bernal, adding that investigation on the incident continues.
In a statement, 4ID Major General Benjamin Madrigal Jr. likened the NPA to “robbers and hijackers.”
"What do we expect from them (NPA) who now have finally transformed into a crime group? They know nothing but criminalities. They will continue to generate funds and sow threat to acquire firearms. They are only good at taking things which are hard-earned by other people," Madrigal said.