DAVAO CITY – Police and security forces in Davao vowed to get the perpetrators in the burning of the heavy equipment used in the construction of government roads as suspected New People’s Army (NPA) members launch one more attack at Sitio Banualay, Barangay Palma Gil in Talaingod, Davao Del Norte on Tuesday.
Chief Inspector Milgrace Driz, spokesperson for the Police Regional Office (PRO) XI, reported that one unit backhoe was set on fire by armed men on Tuesday morning in Talaingod.
Driz said the incident was reported by Florante Ferraren, the project engineer of Ulticon Builders Inc. (UBI).
In an investigation conducted by the Talaingod police, construction workers said they were approached by seven fully-armed men, who told them “ayaw mo kahadlok mangayo mi gamay pero dili man mohatag (do not be afraid we are just asking a little, but they will not give).” It was then that the armed men burned the equipment.
Driz said police authorities are still investigating the incident.
The Philippine Army’s 1003rd Infantry Brigade commander, Col. Ernesto Torres, said the Army, in coordination with other security forces in Davao and the city government, is now taking actions to get the perpetrators and make them answerable for their acts.
Torres, who is also the spokesperson for martial law in the Eastern Mindanao Command, said the burning incident was a manifestation of the NPA’s criminal nature, as arsonists and extortionists.
He said the incident also showed the communist movement’s deceptive posture on peace by launching violent attacks on one hand while showing interest in peace talks on the other.
“An enabling environment for peace can never be created with deceptive behaviour,” he said. Torres also called on all peace-loving Dabawenyos to support all efforts in putting a stop to these atrocious acts.
“With our collective actions and continuous vigilance, we can totally rid Davao of criminals and terrorists,” Torres vowed.
PRO XI regional director, Chief Superintendent Manuel Gaerlan, said it was a desperate act of NPA putting the business entities and the civilians at stake.
He said the NPA does not fear the law. “They deceived people just to earn and get their personal interest of wealth by extorting business entities and other entities working on the projects of the government,” he stressed.
Gaerlan said the NPA has shown its terroristic nature by attacking unarmed, helpless civilian businessmen.
Gaerlan said the NPA no longer gave importance to the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL) which provides that no civilians should be attacked especially those doing projects for the benefit of the people..
According to Gaerlan, information reached him that the NPA was going to attack the military and police before the anniversary on March 29. However, he said the NPA was not successful and could not carry out their plan.
That is why, he said, the NPA attacked the construction companies.
He pointed out that the CPP-NPA does not want the “Build, Build, Build” because their significance would be lost under a progressive Mindanao.
“They are not for the Filipino people, they are having the personal interest at the expense of others. They don’t have buildings built, no structural reforms for the Lumad or their ancestral domain, no structures built for the poor or the marginalized and the people they claim to be helpless,” he said. (Lilian C. Mellejor/PNA)