NPAs burn heavy equipment in Butuan quarry raid

BUTUAN CITY – Heavily armed men swooped down on a quarry site at midnight Friday, and set ablaze multimillion peso construction equipment at Barangay Bonbon, which is about 10 kilometers away from this city.

In separate reports, the military and police identified the raiders as members of guerilla-Front Committee 21 of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPPNPA Northeastern Mindanao Regional Committee (NEMRC).

The CPP-NPA-NEMRC has yet to issue a statement on its alleged involvement in the burning incident.

Troops from the 401st Infantry Brigade were already dispatched to track down the marauders.

Initial reports said the equipment that were destroyed included four backhoes, a payloader and a dump truck.

The owner of the heavy machineries refused to give any comment as of press time.

But according to one of the operators of the equipments, the raiders numbered about 30, all of them armed with automatic rifles.

They reportedly arrived at midnight Friday, and woke up all the drivers resting in the bunkhouse.

According to one of the heavy equipment operators, the raiders numbering 30 of them, armed The raiders then gathered them in a corner, and were told to watch as the suspects poured gasoline on the vehicles before setting them on fire.

After the incidents, the perpetrators immediately fled towards the southern portion of Barangay Bonbon, particularly in Pasiohan Complex, bordering Agusan and Bukidnon provinces.

No one was reported hurt during the incident.