BEN SERRANO
Contributing editor
LIBERTAD, BUTUAN CITY—Armed men suspected to be New People’s Army rebels burned three big trucks, a prime mover trailer truck and two dump trucks owned by Manila-based construction firm CAVDEL Corporation early dawn, Dec. 13, in Purok 7, Barangay Bit-os, Butuan City.
The area is just more or less two kilometers away from the city proper. A big DENR monitoring station for forest products like logs and other wood products has been installed near the area of incident for years.
Butuan City Police said nine fully armed men believed to be New People’s Army rebels held up two security personnel of the construction firm in said area where the firm’s depot is located then poured in gasoline to said equpment then burned it.
Initial police investigation disclosed that the suspects suddenly approached and immediately pointed guns at the two watchmen identified as Reynaldo Toreta and Danilo Salvan while the others poured in gasoline and burned the prime mover trailer truck.
Police claimed suspects immediately fled towards the mountainous area of Barangay Bit-os.
The prime mover trailer truck has license plate number UDG 445. The armed men likewise fired upon two other ten-wheeler dump trucks parked nearby, the police said.
Responding police operatives recovered from the crime scene six spent shells and one live ammunition of 5.56 mm (M16); two spent shells of 7.62 mm (M14); one four liter plastic container with gasoline; one (1) spent shotgun shell; one (1) spent shell of 9mm and one spent shell from .30 cal. carbine.
Motive-is yet to be determined, the police said.
Follow-up operation and hot pursuit operation is being conducted by elements of Butuan City Police Office and Philippine Army personnel.
Two years ago, a Japanese construction firm in the area constructing the P1.7-B Japan loan funded Butuan Second Bridge was bombed by suspected New People’s Army rebels as reported by the police.
But it turned out later that said armed men (some were allegedly NPA members) were allegedly paid by local wealthy construction firm owners who allegedly got angry why they were not able to get a pie of the multi-million peso construction works.