Wednesday, November 30, 2005
By Ben Serrano
Caraga correspondent
BUTUAN CITY -- The New People's Army (NPA) in Caraga Region ambushed last Saturday morning a logging truck with six army men onboard at Road 4, Sitio Bagong Silang, Barangay Bigaan, Hinatuan, and Surigao del Sur. Belated reports from the Philippine National Police (PNP) Regional Information Office here stated no one was hurt among the six troopers who boarded the Isuzu Canter owned by log firm Picop. Improvised landmines planted by the communist guerillas operating in the area exploded when the vehicle crossed on it Saturday.
But the communist rebels claimed otherwise that three of the six soldiers were wounded. The unhurt government troopers belonging to the 36th IB together with responding operatives of the 1406th Surigao del Sur Provincial Police Mobile Group immediately pursued the rebels who fled away from the scene after the bombing. Senior Inspector Nelly Tabornal Villagarcia, PNP-Caraga spokesperson, said a mobile checkpoint was immediately installed at the national highway in Barangay Tagongon, Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur to monitor movement of the communist rebels.
Earlier, military and police officials assailed the local communist groups in the region for using improvised landmines saying it violated the Geneva Protocols ban on landmines in warfare. Soldiers in Surigao del Sur have been scouring the province for landmines especially near government installations and roads frequently passed by military men and vehicles. They said landmines posed grave danger to ordinary passersby and commuters not only to government troopers in the area. Meanwhile, in Sitio Divisoria, Barangay Langkilaan, Trento, Agusan del Sur, two unidentified armed men burned early Sunday morning a 10-wheeler truck used to transport planted and naturally grown wood species.
Reports reaching the Police Regional Office at Camp Rafael Rodriguez said the truck was bound for Davao City and loaded with logs when flagged down by the two unidentified armed men in the area. The armed men then ordered the truck driver and helper to get out and then poured gasoline on the vehicle's engine before setting it on fire. Not contented the armed men robbed the driver of his cell phone, P7,000 cash, and watch before fled away from the scene using a single motorcycle. Trento Police identified the owner of the truck as one Joel Rudinas, Jr. and the 49-year-old driver as Isidro Navales, a resident of Bayugan, Agusan del Sur.
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