Sunday, November 4, 2007

Suspected Reds attack Globe cellsite in Masbate province

By Ronron
November 3, 2007

A telecommunications facility of Globe in Masbate province was attacked on Friday night by suspected members of the New People’s Army (NPA), a police report said.

According to the report, an undetermined number of suspected rebels staged the attack at around 7:55 pm at the facility located at Barangay Bayanihan in San Fernando town.

The suspects first disarmed the security guard on duty, identified as Fernando Cantoria, as soon as they barged into the Globe Relay Station, the report said. Taken from Cantoria was his caliber 38 revolver service firearm.

They then hogtied Cantoria and brought him outside the relay station premises.

“Thereafter, the communist terrorists planted improvised explosives at the ladder foundation of the said installation, which caused explosion and resulted in the burning of the generator set,” the report said.

The report did not say the cost of the damages and whether or not the facility was still operational after the incident.

Elements of the San Fernando Municipal Police and the 5th Police Regional Mobile Group already conducted pursuit operations against the perpetrators. The direction of the operation was initially towards the neighboring village of Paraiso.

The 6,200-strong NPA has been waging guerilla warfare in the countryside in the last 38 years in the hope of toppling the democratic form of government.

In June of last year, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo ordered the police and military to crush the movement by 2010 when she ends her term, citing the fear being sowed by the NPA to businessmen and would-be investors in the country./DMS

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