LEGAZPI CITY – In a move to cripple its telecommunication system in Bicol, heavily-armed New People’s Army (NPA) rebels burned another Globe cell site Wednesday evening, police report said.
This is the fifth attack staged by the NPAs to force Globe management to pay their demanded revolutionary taxes.
Senior Superintendent Eliciar Bron, Bicol police official spokesperson, said that about 20 heavily armed NPA guerillas gained entrance to the Globe cell site in Barangay Malinta in Masbate City at about 9:30 p.m. on Wednesday by cutting the hog wire fence on the southern portion.
Since no Globe security guard was around, the rebels gathered dried coconut leaves which they placed on the outdoor cabin and the base of the tower, poured gasoline and set the facilities on fire, Bron said.
The rebels fired their automatic weapons on the air to scare villagers living nearby the facility before withdrawing to a forested area.
On Aug. 28, about 20 heavily-armed NPA insurgents of the “Hilo” Command using improvised explosive devices under a certain Ka Rudy bombed the Globe cell site in Barangay Sapngan in Bulusan town, Sorsogon. One security guard was wounded by metal shards during the explosion while another was used as a hostage during their escape.
On Sept. 17, two groups of NPAs burned simultaneously another Globe relay station in Barangay Tinangihan in Libmanan town and a Globe cell site in Barangay Batang in nearby Pamplona town at about 9:50 p.m., all in Camarines Sur.
Damage at the relay station was placed at P1.6 million while at the cell site was P150,000.
On Sept. 18, about 20 heavily armed NPA rebels using as a guide a certain Dongan Atayco torched another Globe relay tower in Barangay Bangad in Milagros town, Masbate about nine kms. from Masbate city proper.
They ordered the lone guard Joseph Doctoler to open the gate of the facility and then placed rags soaked in crude oil and set on fire the generator set, airconditioning and the automatic switch control.
Damage to the facility was placed at P 900,000.
Globe Telecoms has a project called “Bantay Telepono” with the Arm Forces of the Philippines, the Philippine National Police and local government units to safeguard its facilities in Bicol.
Gregorio Bañares, spokesperson of the National Democratic Front in Bicol, on air over Radyo Bombo here yesterday justified the attacks on the Globe Telecom facilities because “ Globe management has allowed the police and the AFP to use its facilities to eavesdrop on the whereabouts of the members of the revolutionary movement.” – Celso Amo