Rebs torch Globe tower in Masbate

LEGAZPI CITY – Two days after New People’s Army (NPA) rebels killed two policemen in an ambush Wednesday in the Masbate island of Burias, another band of insurgents torched a relay station of Globe Tele­com at the nearby island of Ticao Friday night, police said.

Senior Superintendent Eliciar Bron, spokesman of the Bicol police command, said some 50 heavily armed NPA rebels barged into the Globe relay station in Ba­rangay Bayanihan, San Fer­nando town and disarmed its lone security guard of his caliber .38 revolver.

They hogtied and brought the guard outside the facility, which they then burned down using improvised explosives.

Last September, NPA rebels also torched Globe towers in Masbate City and Milagros town.

Globe Telecom earlier had signed a memorandum of agreement with the Philippine National Police, Philippine Army and different local government units to safeguard its 114 cell sites and 25 relay stations in Bicol. – Celso Amo, Jaime Laude