P20-M worth of equipment torched in Koronadal

SOUTH COTABATO, Philippines - Gunmen burned some P20 million worth of engineering equipment of a construction firm before dawn Friday in Barangay Topland in Koronadal City.

Supt. Nestor Salcedo, director of the Koronadal City police, said the suspects arrived at the equipment depot of the construction outfit, owned by engineer Fernando Bascon, and immediately set a payloader, a stone crasher and a bulldozer on fire using kerosene.

The group also tried, but failed to burn more road-building equipment in a nearby compound, owned by the Happy Living Construction Company, due to a sudden downpour.

“They already poured fuel on the heavy equipment of that firm, which is owned by engineer Edwin Bonilla, but there was sudden rain so they failed in their arson attempt,” Salcedo told reporters.

He said investigators are still trying to establish the exact identities of the arsonists and their motive for the attack.