CAGAYAN DE ORO (MindaNews / 06 April) – The New People’s Army on Saturday (NPA) burned a casava milling facility in Malitbog, Bukidnon owned by a businessman they accused of grabbing lands from Indigenous Peoples there.
Nikolas Marino, NPA spokesman in Northern Mindanao sent text messages to reporters on Saturday saying that a team of 12 armed rebels attacked the facility in Barangay Siloo, in Malitbog, Bukidnon after overpowering their guards.
The messages to reporters from the NPA came as a surprise. This is the first time in four years that the NPA made its presence felt after suffering setbacks from government’ counter-insurgency efforts and the deaths of top leaders such as Jorge Madlos alias “Ka Oris” of the National Democratic Front (NDF) in Mindanao and former NDF consultant Pedro Cudaste. Madlos and Cudaste were killed in military operations in Bukidnon in 2021.
After the killing of Madlos and Cudaste, the NPA tightened its security and ceased sending communications to news media organizations and reporters.
Sergeant Graciano Temano of the Malitbog town police station confirmed the NPA attack. He said the NPA rebels gathered the workers before setting fire to the stocks of cassava chips, a milling machine and a building in Barangay Siloo.
Temano said none of the workers was hurt. The owner of the milling facility estimated the damage at P3 million.
Marino said the rebels also confiscated an air rifle and two radio sets from the guard.
The 4th Infantry Division in Cagayan de Oro said only 100 NPA rebels are left operating in Bukidnon and Misamis Oriental after they decimated most of its guerrilla fronts in the Mt. Pantaron range straddling Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Bukidnon and Misamis Oriental. (Froilan Gallardo / MindaNews)
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