CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, March 22 (PNA) - Suspected New
People’s Army (NPA) rebels burned a heavy equipment used by Del Monte
Philippines, Inc. (DMPI) in Bukidnon, a belated military report here said
Wednesday.
Capt. Norman Tagros, spokesperson of the Army 401st
Brigade, said communist rebels raided the DMPI plantation in the outskirt of
Malaybalay City on Monday night and disarmed and seized the firearms of private
security guards before burning the heavy equipment.
He said that a tractor, three boom harvesters and a
Skinner were burned before the rebels withdrew under cover of darkness.
Tagros said the police and the military sent a combined
team of operatives to pursue the rebels, but they have not made contact as of
Wednesday.
He said that an investigation to determine whether the
heavy equipment were owned by the DMPI or company contractors is still going
on.
“We want to find out whether DMPI or a sub-contractor
owns the heavy equipment because there were reports that the DMPI owns the
equipment,” Tagros said.
