Alleged NPAs, pretending to be cops and soldiers, ransack power plant and burn equipment

February 26, 2019

Alleged members of the New People’s Army (NPA), some wearing police and military uniforms, entered a hydro power plant in Oriental Mindoro on Monday, ordered them to form a line, grabbed their belongings and burned the company's heavy equipment.

Capt. Patrick Jay Retumban, public affairs chief of the  2nd Infantry Division, said based on initial report a total of 26 rebels attacked the eight-megawatt Santa Clara hydro power plant in Barangay Malvar, Naujan town around 4:30 pm.

Retumban, said according to Col. Marceliano Teofilo, commander of the 203rd Brigade, the armed men took all items, including cell phones, of the employees.

“Six armed men disguised in military and police uniforms entered the compound, directed the management and the workers to form a line, and then suddenly declared they were NPAs. A few minutes later, 20 armed men followed, confiscated the employees cell phones and belongings and held them hostages,” Teofilo said.

Retumban said the rebels took a total of four laptops, 12 handheld radios, two cellphones, one shotgun and one 9mm pistol from employees.

He noted that the rebels also burned that includes three Volvo articulated dump truck, one backhoe, two KIA service vehicles, one fuel truck, two SK truck, two loader, two transit mixer, one mobile crane, one crawler crane, one batching plant and one crushing plant during the attack.

The attackers left and did not bring any hostages.

Retumban said soldiers with local police are pursuing the attackers.

“The police are investigating the incident. Checkpoints were also beefed-up in the area,” he said.

Teofilo said electricity from the power plant was to benefit rural areas, especially Mangyan tribal communities.

“They are hampering the development in the Mindoro province,” he said. Robina Asido/DMS