ILAGAN, Isabela: At least P15-million worth of heavy equipment owned by a logging firm based here were razed by fire by the New People’s Army (NPA) over the week, Army reports disclosed on Tuesday. According to Col. Loreto Magundayao, head of the fifth civil-military relations battalion based at Camp Melchor Dela Cruz—the headquarters of the Army’s Fifth Infantry Division, the communist rebels burned down five truck and five bulldozers in Echague town on Thursday.
In a statement, the Army identified the logging firms, which owns and operates the burned heavy equipment as Monte Alto Logging Company—reportedly has an existing permit to conduct logging operations along Isabela’s northern area.
“The logging employees were forced to witness the burning while being held captive for the rest of the day,” said Magundayao, adding that some 20 NPA fighters took part in the burning of said equipment.
Meanwhile, the Army accused the communist rebels of using terror such as the burning of property of businessmen when they could no longer get money from their victims as allowance for their economic activities in the area.
This was confirmed by various former rebels who said their former comrades extort at least P1 million for various companies who wish to conduct business in their alleged areas of control.
“Those who fail to pay said ‘revolutionary taxes’ will eventually see their equipment burned up,” they said. –FRANCIS C. HIDALGO JR. CORRESPONDENT, Manila Times
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