Guerrillas attack Army detachment in Tarlac

ANGELES CITY — Ten heavily armed New People’s Army (NPA) rebels attacked an Army detachment securing the construction of the Subic-Clark-Tarlac expressway in Barangay Alfonso in Concepcion, Tarlac last Wednesday night.

Col. Preme Monta, spokesman of the Armed Forces Northern Luzon Command (Nolcom), said Rolando Berudo, a member of the Civilian Armed Force Geographical Unit, was killed in the attack.

Earlier that day, Monta said three suspected NPA guerillas stole an L-300 Vesta van owned by the Tarlac Electric Cooperative in Barangay Sta. Maria, also in Concepcion town.

The NPA guerillas later used the van in attacking the detachment of the 70th Infantry Battalion in Barangay Alfonso.

Monta said about 10 rebels on board the van peppered the detachment with bullets as they drove by. The 13 soldiers manning the outpost fired back.

The van was later found abandoned in Barangay Corazon de Jesus, also in Concepcion.

Monta said 17 spent M-14 shells and 68 spent M-16 shells were found in the detachment area.

The military also found eight spent M-14 shells and 20 spent M-16 shells inside the abandoned van.

"Apparently, the attack was also directed at the expressway project itself," Monta said.

Nolcom chief Maj. Gen. Romeo Tolentino reiterated his order to his men to provide maximum security to all "vital" government projects in Northern and Central Luzon.

Militant groups, particularly at Hacienda Luisita in Tarlac, have criticized the tollway project, which they claimed would only serve the interests of foreign capitalists. — Ding Cervantes, Ric Sapnu