Suspected NPA rebels chop down P1.6M worth of banana plants

BUTUAN CITY — After burning heavy equipment in a village in Barobo town in Surigao del Sur, suspected New People’s Army rebels hacked all fully grown banana plants in a Dole Philippines plantation at Sitio Cabalawan, Barangay Anahaw Daan in Tago town in the province on Monday, police and military reports said. Caraga Police Office has reported that a total of 3,157 hills of fully grown Cavendish (banana) with an estimated worth at P1.6 million were totally destroyed in the attack. Also, Col. Augusto Tolentino, 401st Infantry Brigade commander, said in a text message to GMANews.TV that the fully-grown banana plants were on a three-hectare lot of Dole Philippines. “Kausap ko ang security officers kahapon, mga 3 hectares lahat ang area, parang hindi sila masyado concerned kasi tutubo pa rin daw ang naputol (I talked to security officers on Monday. They said around three hectares of banana plants were destroyed, but they did not worry to much as the plants would grow again soon)," Tolentino added. The Tago Municipal Police Office claimed that the NPA rebels belonging to Front Committee 198 were responsible for the attack. On March 27 evening, NPA rebels torched six heavy equipment owned by contractors doing works for Dole Philippines in Barobo, around 100 kilometers away from Tago. NPA rebels poured gasoline and set on fire two backhoes of Hogan Builders owned by Mr. Robert Otero of Sta. Josefa town in Agusan del Sur; another two backhoes belonging to Alanis Builders owned by Allan Sanchez of Rosario town in Agusan del Sur were also torched. They likewise burned two mini bulldozers of MFCS Construction owned by Ancis Calo of Barobo town. NPA Mindanao leader Jorge Madlos alyas Ka Oris in a press statement said the burning of heavy equipment was conducted by his comrades because of the danger the banana plantations project posed to the residents in the area. But authorities claimed the NPA rebels were allegedly asking revolutionary taxes, and that the burning happened after the owners of the firms refused to give in to the demands. Police said they are still investigating the two incidents. Since Monday, GMANews.TV has been trying to contact Surigao del Sur Governor Vicente Pimentel’s office to inquire on what actions the provincial government has taken concerning the attacks, but failed. — Ben Serrano/LBG/RSJ, GMANews.TV