AFP not ruling out Reds in QC bus burning incident

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine military is not completely ruling out the involvement of the New People’s Army (NPA) in the burning of five Victory Liner buses in Quezon City. Earlier reports said 10 armed men who introduced themselves as communist rebels barged into the bus firm’s terminal in Quezon City’s Cubao district and set on fire one passenger bus. The fire later spread to four other buses. "Judging from those pronouncements, there is (that) possibility. They claimed that they were from the other side and we know for a fact that the New People’s Army (NPA) do that (bus burning). So we are looking at that possibility," said military information chief Lt. Col. Ernesto Torres. "We are working closely with the Philippine National Police because as of the moment they are lead in this investigation...We are collaborating with the Philippine National Police in the Investigation," Torres said. Police investigators have said that the incident could have been labor-related, noting that the bus firm had fired employees in the past. Extortion was also not ruled out. On the earlier pronouncements of the police, Torres said: "We respect the report of the Philippine National Police. We respect their eport of course. We are both in the armed service, in security, tasked to provide security. We respect the truthfulness of (both) our reports." - GMANews.TV