By Edwin Fernandez – PNA
KIDAPAWAN CITY – Members of the New People’s Army (NPA) harassed a banana plantation in Arakan, North Cotabato and fired rifle grenades that injured six security guards Thursday night, police said.
Senior Supt. Maximo Layugan, North Cotabato police director, said the NPA stormed the processing plant of Lapanday Banana Group of Companies in Barangay Dallag, Arakan, North Cotabato at 8:45 p.m.
The security guards returned fire, triggering a brief gun battle, until the rebels fled deep into the forest, Layugan said.
Senior Insp. Jose Mari Molina, Arakan town police chief, said the rebels have been demanding revolutionary tax from the banana plantation but it was repeatedly ignored by the company.
Molina identified those injured as Jerry Cansico, Ramar Embay, Naseran Embana, Joel Algocoy, Nelson Ampugo, and Christoval Felix, all security guards of the banana firm.
Molina believed the rebels also suffered casualties as there were blood stains in their escape route.
Police and soldiers have been deployed in the village of Dallag, where the banana plantation was located, to prevent future NPA harassments.
