Suspected rebels burn P600-K worth of truck machines

By Glazyl Y. Masculino

BACOLOD City – Police are probing the burning incident that damaged two machines of a truck worth P600,000 in Barangay Tabun-ac Proper, Toboso, Negros Occidental last Wednesday.

Police Major Jun Ray Batadlan, Toboso town police chief, said eight armed men believed to be members of the New People’s Army (NPA) arrived and gathered the sugarcane workers in an area far from the two trucks.

Batadlan said the workers were supposed to load sugarcane on the trucks when the armed men arrived and asked them about their salaries.

They then burned the machines of the trucks and fled, leaving the workers unharmed.

Batadlan said the owner of the trucks, who is a haciendero, received no threats.

He added that it was the first time that such an incident happened.