Police hunts rebs in Apayao ‘extortion,’ burning of trucks

CONNER, Apayao – Police are now hunting suspected members of the New People’s Army  following their  “recent atrocities” in this remote town.

 Suspected NPA members burned three dump trucks and took another vehicle after they failed to extort money from the Omengan Construction and Development Corporation (OCDC) in Barangay Guinaang in Conner on August 3.

 According to police reports, more than 40 suspected rebels entered the compound of the OCDC at around 6 p.m.

They rounded up the employees encouraging them to join their group. They confiscated the personal belongings of the employees including cell phones and demanded supplies such as rice and cash. However, the employees were not able to give the demands.

The group left a demand letter for the payment of revolutionary tax.  

 Before leaving the construction site compound, the rebels burned two dump trucks and one forward truck and took another dump truck and a pick-up truck as a get-away vehicle with two employees as their drivers. After an hour, the drivers were sent back to site with using the pick-up truck. The dump truck was dropped into a ravine.

 A concerned citizen reported the incident to the Conner Municipal Police Station.

Pursuit operations were conducted by joint police and Armed Forces of the Philippines troops in the areas.

Based on initial investigation conducted by Conner police,  the rebels were members of the NPA under Leo Cauilan Command-Kalinga.

 The OCDC is among the construction firms who have road construction projects in the far-flung areas of the Cordillera region including the road connecting Apayao to the provinces of Kalinga and Cagayan.