Armed men attack Napocor power plant in Sultan Kudarat

KIDAPAWAN CITY, Philippines - Some 15 members of a lawless group operating in Central Mindanao attacked a National Power Corporation (Napocor) plant in Kalamansig town in Sultan Kudarat province and wounded a duty security guard Sunday. Insp. Celestino Daniel, chief of Kalamansig Police, identified the victim as Zaldy Lingaton, 35, of Barangay Sta. Maria in Kalamansig. He was hit on his right leg in the attack that happened around 11:50 p.m. Daniel said the gunmen who were positioned in three different areas fired their M16 rifles on the power plant, but did not create any damage to the facility, Daniel said. Soldiers, belonging to the Bravo Company of the 64th Infantry Battalion deployed near the area came and returned fires on the attackers. The Army in Central Mindanao believed the attack was the handiwork of the rogue elements of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) operating in the area. On June 23, 2008, members of a lost command of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) attacked a power generating plant owned by the Napocor in Kalamansig, Sultan Kudarat which resulted in a month-long blackout in the area. The attack cost some P3.4 million in damage to facilities. The rocket-propelled grenades hit Napocor’s power barge located at least three kilometers away from the wharf in Santa Maria village in Kalamansig. The repairs of the power plant at that time were put on hold due to security threats, an official of the Napocor said. - Malu Cadelina Manar, GMANews.TV