Rebs face arson raps for torching quarry equipment in Cagayan

TUGUEGARAO CITY, Cagayan — Police officials on Wednesday lodged arson charges against 20 New People’s Army rebels who were tagged as responsible for the December 2 torching of a warehouse and heavy equipment in Barangay Pateng, Gonzaga, Cagayan. Indicted before the Cagayan prosecutor’s office were Allan Rey Balanay, Rolando Igis alias Saro, Jonathan Sandaga alias Ian and his wife Mylene Salvador alias Maymay, as well as 16 other John Does. All 20 are alleged members of the NPA’s Henry Abraham Command (NPA-HAC) of the Northern Front Committee operating in northern Cagayan. At least 20 rebels attacked the Unimaster Conglomeration Inc. (UCI) and burned down its warehouse as well as heavy equipment, spare parts, a pay loader and two large generators. Damages were estimated at P5 million. The company is owned by a Taiwanese engineer Wilson Chan. The rebels commandeered a dump truck and drove it to the area, where they hogtied two security guards. The rebels seized two shotguns but apparently did not harm the guards. The NPA-HAC, through its spokesman Arnel Sandoval, admitted to the arson. In its website, the group said it torched the warehouse and equipment as punitive action against the firm’s alleged exploitation of natural resources in the village. It also alleged that the UCI owner supported the election campaign of Mayor Carlito Pentecostes Jr., whom the rebels claimed was a warlord. The rebel spokesman said that UCI’s continuous quarrying of black sand was contributing to the rapid siltation of the Wangag river, which causes its banks to overflow during rains. While the firm had a permit to quarry sand, it had been illegally mining magnetite for a year, the rebels claimed, adding that UCI has pushed for the area’s militarization, which lead to human rights abuses. “Armado na nga ang mga bantay sa minahan ng UCI at ang mga goons ni Pentecostes; wala ring patumangga ang mga operasyong militar ng 17th IB sa paligid ng minahan, na nagdulot na ng pagkabugbog ng ilang magsasaka at pagpapabakwit sa mga sityo ng barangays Pateng at Flourishing," Sandoval said. (The guards at the mining site of UCI are armed, as are Pentecostes’ goons; the 17th IB continues to operate near the mine site, leading to some farmers being beaten up and to the forced evacuation of hamlets in barangays Pateng and Flourishing.) — Joel Nueva/DM/JV, GMANews.TV