Caraga cop chief condemns NPA rebels burning of heavy equipment in Surigao City

by Ben Serrano

     May 13, 2011

            BUTUAN CITY (PNA) - Caraga Police Regional Director Chief Supt. REYNALDO S. RAFAL, CEO VI condemned in strongest terms the New People’s Army’s latest atrocities by burning heavy equipment used in the on-going construction of the Gaisano Capital Mall in Surigao City.

            In a press statement, Rafal said recent barbaric action of the communist rebels only proved New People’s Army’s obvious motive to destabilize the Province of Surigao del Norte and the Caraga region as a well by spoiling its economic opportunities.

             The statement further reads “the trademark of the rebels is sowing terror and doing atrocities, but still the Philippine National Police together with the Armed Forces of the Philippines with the active support of the people in the region are on the top of the situation”

 “While the government and other organizations are doing projects and activities to uplift the lives of the people, the CPP/NPA sows terror and atrocities. This belies the claim of the CPP/NPA that they are pro-people and for peace. The PNP commends the heightened awareness on the part of the citizens for taking an active part in maintaining the peace and order of the region by being vigilant and courageous in cooperating with the law enforcers” Rafal who has a Doctoral Degree on Humanities said.

The official report by Surigao City Police forwarded to Rafal who is based here at the Caraga PNP regional office, Camp Rafael Rodriguez in Libertad, Butuan City claimed the burning incident was reported to the police by Pastor Apostado Quiban, a checker of the on-going construction of the said mall.

Quiban who is assign at the quarry site in Sitio Looc, Barangay Luna, Surigao City claimed the burning of heavy equipment took place May 12, 2011 around 9:45 in the evening.

The press statement claimed Quiban’s report was confirmed when police and army troops rushed to the area to confront the reported presence of more or less twenty (20) CPP/NDF/NPA (CNN) members with long firearms who reportedly left the area and fired their guns upon leaving

 One (1) unit ISUZU Dump truck (not two as earlier reported), one (1) unit KUMATSU Back Hoe and one (1) unit TCM Pay Loader were burned by the rebels.

 Surigao City Fire Station and Surigao City Quick Action Response Team who accompanied the responding PNP and Army troops helped control the fire to prevent further damage to the equipment.

Initial report from Philippine Army’s 30^th “Python” Infantry Battalion commanding officer Col. Erwin Rommel Lamzon claimed the local communist rebels in the area was reacting on the complaints by some village residents against quarrying in their area which was allegedly illegally allowed by concerned government agencies.

Some residents in Sitio Looc complained the quarrying of the mountain and hill in their area posed grave danger to residents living near it especially during rainy season due possible landslide that may buried their houses and people living in it alive.

They wonder why concerned government agencies allegedly allowed the quarrying when it was even identified as among the landslide prone areas in the city. 

The NPA has not yet issued statement about the burning incident. (PNA/Ben Serrano)