Suspected NPAs torch boom truck of Stanfilco in SoCot

KORONADAL CITY - Suspected communist guerillas torched Monday night a boom truck of a banana plantation in a remote village of Banga, South Cotabato, police here said today.The incident occurred in a remote sub-village of El Bantong, Barangay Rang-ay, Banga where a vast banana plantation owned by Dole-Stanfilco was located. Quoting a police spot report from Banga PNP, Senior Superintendent Jose
Briones Jr, South Cotabato police provincial director, said the spraying equipment was torched by at least 8 armed men Tuesday night. Although the suspects
introduced themselves as New Peoples Army, we have to validate it because according to our witnesses their
firearms and style were different,” Briones told DXOM-FM Wednesday. Briones said while on their way to
banana plantation, gunmen flagged down the heavy equipment and ordered its driver John Galvez ang his companion Junie
Labuen to disembark and leave. Their personal belongings, wallet and mobile phones were taken.The gunmen then poured gasoline into the vehicle, known among locals as Martigani Sprayer, and set it on fire. Briones said investigators are also looking at other angles of the incident.He said aside from involvement of New Peoples Army, police are looking at possible link between the burning and the robbery incident on October 5 reported to the Bangsa PNP.Of the four involved in robbery, one was the driver of Martigani Sprayer of Dole
Stanfilco. We are also looking into the
possibility that it was also connected to the earlier reported theft incident
in Banga, wherein five personnel of Dole Stanfilco where arrested while stealing a container of BAYCOR chemical, Briones said.