KABANKALAN City, Negros Occidental—The New People’s Army (NPA) claimed responsibility for the burning of a bunk house and a backhoe owned by the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) at an ongoing construction dam site in Barangay Tan-awan on Monday night.
In an interview with the BusinessMirror, Police Supt. Rhea E. Santos, chief of police of Kabankalan City, said this information was based on flyers that said NPAs admitted they were responsible for the attack.
Santos added that around 7:30 p.m. of May 7, more than 50 armed men and women believed to be members of the NPAs went to the river of Santo Tagbak, Barangay Tan-awan, where they staged the attack.
Police said witnesses Emilia Evariso, 43, and Francisco Villarreal, 59, foreman of F. Gurrea Construction Inc. were surprised after hearing explosion not coming from the show they were watching on television.
“Armed men then barged inside the house where Evariso and Villarreal were watching TV,” Santos said, adding the armed men politely asked them to stay calm.
“Sir, what is our fault?” Santos quoted Evariso as saying in Ilonggo and who asked the four men who entered their residence.
“You have nothing to do with this; only your boss,” one of the armed men replied.
Santos said the armed men left around 10 p.m.
According to him, Kabankalan City Mayor Isidro Zayco ordered the police to continue to monitor the area.
Santos said the military were also deployed in the area after the incident.