By Mar T. Supnad
BAAY-LICUAN, Abra — Army troopers
are now hunting a band of 20 New People’s Army rebels who torched construction
equipment worth P6 million here at km 473 of the Abra-Kalinga Road for failing
to pay “revolutionary tax.”
Brig. Gen. Hernando Iriberri,
commander of the 503rd Infantry Brigade, said his men are now scouring the area
following the June 29 attack on D&D Construction Co. owned by Bangued Mayor
Dominic Valera.
Iriberri said the attack was
carried out after the construction firm operators refused a demand by the
rebels last May for “rebel taxes.”
The NPAs under Agustin Begnalen
Command operating in Abra burned the back hoe of the firm around 12 midnight
along Abra-Kalinga Road at Sitio Nagpaoayan, Barangay Subagan.
The D&D is now constructing
the Abra-Kalinga Road.
Capt. Regie H. Go, information
officer of 41ST Infantry Battalion, 5th Division, Philippine Army bared these
saying Highway workers staying in the area said before the incident they saw
about 20 fully armed men.
“They gathered them and
threatened workers then commanded them to abandon the area immediately, Go
said. “Frightened workers immediately left the area. Then after about five
minutes the workers saw a big fire in the area.”
Prior to the incident, the NPA
command reportedly tried to get revolutionary taxes from the construction
company, which army personnel said, was extortion.
“The burning of said heavy
equipment is the NPA’s way of punishing uncooperative victims. Their ruthless
act showed they are against peace and development in Abra,” Go said.
This, as a report from regional
police headquarters in Camp Dangwa, Benguet said the project implementor of the
construction firm identified as 44-year-old Vicki Dawigen Sabian reported the
incident to the police Sunday morning.
The equipment worth P6,000,000
was parked along the Abra-Kalinga road particularly at Km 473 sitio Nagpawayan,
Baay-Licuan when it was torched.
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