Globe facility in Iloilo attacked

By Ronron
January 25, 2008

A relay station of Globe Telecommunications was attacked before dawn Friday in Iloilo province by two unidentified men, police and military said.

The incident happened at around 12:45am at Sitio Apik, Barangay Ambarehon, Tubungan town, causing Globe signal in town to be cut off for a few hours, said PO3 Felix Tabago of the local police station.

Tabago said the two bonnet-wearing suspects arrived on foot, prompting the two security guards on duty to run away.

He said responding policemen found later at the Globe compound the cable feeder for the signal already cut off.

Tabago said the suspects used a bladed weapon to cut off the cable, although there was no weapon recovered.

There was also an apparent attempt to set fire the facility based on the presence of gasoline found inside the compound. "Maybe, they failed to ignite it for unclear reasons," Tabago said.

He said Globe officials have yet to assess the cost of damages.

After repairing the damaged equipment, Tabago said the communication signal was restored at past 11am.

He disclosed that the said facility was already bombed in June last year by suspected communist rebels. It was repaired by the company until it was attacked yesterday.

Tabago said they have yet to ascertain if the two perpetrators are members of the New People's Army, although he admitted the town is still infested with insurgents.

The motive for the attack is still undetermined, saying the suspects did not say a word upon entering the facility.

Several Globe facilities have been attacked already the past few years by suspected rebels allegedly due to failure to pay the so-called revolutionary taxes./DMS