Suspected NPAs burn equipment in Nueva Vizcaya, torch NGCP office in Mt Province

October 12, 2017

Suspected members of the New People’s Army (NPA) torched heavy equipment in the province of Nueva Vizcaya last Tuesday, a regional military spokesman said Thursday.

Lt. Col. Isagani Nato, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Northern Luzon Command (Nolcom) public affairs officer, said the military recorded two burning incidents in the boundary of Brgy Escoting and Brgy San Pablo and another in Brgy Arwas Diadi, both in Nueva Vizcaya.

“The burning incidents resulted in the damage of one dump truck, one water truck and one back hoe of Delta Earth Moving Construction Company owned by a certain Mr Omengan of Tabuk City, Kalinga,” he said.

“Barangay officials of San Pablo recovered two plastic gasoline containers in the vicinity which is believed to have been used by the suspects in burning said equipment,” he added.

Nato said the burning was allegedly done by suspected NPA rebels who were riding in tandem during the incident.

He said there were initial reports that a control room of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) at Barangay Otukan Norte, Bauko, Mountain Province exploded after it was burned by suspected NPA rebels at around 10:45 pm of the same day.

Nato said the incident resulted in power interruption in the whole of Mountain Province and some parts of Benguet.

“Authorities are currently investigating the burning incident and the Nolcom troopers assigned in the area are still conducting security patrols to avoid similar untoward incident,” he said. Robina Asido/DMS