NPA blasting of Globe cellsite affects thousands of residents
Cauayan, Negros Occ. – Residents of Cauayan, Hinobaan and Sipalay City were clamoring because of the poor cellphone signal due to the blasting of the cellsite owned by Globe Telecommunications Tuesday night last week at Brgy. Lina-on, Cauayan.
"Indi na kami ka-text kag katawag kay pigado gid sang signal (We can't call or text because of poor signal)," a villager who does not want to be identified said.
Police authorities eyed the non-payment of revolutionary tax by the company as main reason why the suspected members of the New People's Army (NPA) strafed and thrown hand grenade to the cellsite.
Recovered from the scene of the incident were an unexploded rifle grenade and 11 empty shells of M-16 and M-14 assault rifles.
The exact computation of total damage is still under inventory of the company but the initial report showed it incurred millions of pesos in losses.
About P93 million worth of properties were destroyed by rebels in Negros from 1998 to 2008, military reported.
Military records also showed that Northern Negros was hardly hit in terms of properties with more than P16 million in losses before this year ends.
Two months ago, livelihoods of poor individuals were affected because of the burning of coal mines equipment in Calatrava.
Other incidents were the burning of trucks owned by Tanduay distributors in Escalante City, haciendas in Cadiz City, three tractors owned by a bio-fuels company in Siaton, Negros Oriental, backhoe of E.C de Luna in La Castellana and many more.
Few weeks ago, military in Negros launched Anti-NPA Kotong campaign against the rebel extortion activities.
The 303rd Infantry Brigade Commander Brigadier General Josue Gaverza said civilians or companies who received extortion letters should report it to proper authorities for proper disposition.
With the wrongdoings of the rebel, Gaverza said such activities are no longer considered as pro-poor in line with rebel's idealism but he described it as anti-poor and anti-development making lives of the poor and peasants more miserable.
Rebels had been hitting what it calls "soft targets" which military considered as diversionary tactics to ease pressure on them by Army soldiers in the countrysides of Negros.
The civilians may relay their information about "rebels' kotong" by calling or sending text messages to the NPA Kotong lines 0915-825-9909 and 0921-744-6303.