From the Philippine News Agency (Jan 8): Armed men seize, torch hauler truck in North Cotabato
Armed men believed to be extortionist carjacked a dump truck owned by a private construction firm in a remote village here on Tuesday night and torched it in adjacent village, police said.
Senior Inspector Ronnie Cordero, Tulunan police chief, said the dump truck driven by Leoncio de Vera and loaded with sand was heading to Mlang,North Cotabato from Datu Paglas, Maguindanao when two men hitchhiked with the driver.
Upon reaching Kilometer 25, Barangay La Esperanza, Tulunan, one of two hitchhikers pulled a handgun and ordered de Vera to divert the vehicle heading toward the border of Tulunan and Makilala, both infested by New People's Army (NPA) guerrillas.
Few kilometers later, the two men ordered de Vera to alight and commandeered the vehicle to Makilala. De Vera reported the incident to Tulunan PNP.
He was not harmed, Cordero said.
The truck was later found to have been torched by the suspects, believed to be extortionists.
"We are still investigating the incident," Cordero said, adding that investigators are looking at extortion as possible motive.
But he said the construction firm did not complain of any extortion attempt from any group in the province.
The truck was owned by Lao construction company which is constructing part of the Mlang airport in Barangay Tawan-Tawan, Mlang,North Cotabato .
No one has claimed responsibility.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=603030
Armed men believed to be extortionist carjacked a dump truck owned by a private construction firm in a remote village here on Tuesday night and torched it in adjacent village, police said.
Senior Inspector Ronnie Cordero, Tulunan police chief, said the dump truck driven by Leoncio de Vera and loaded with sand was heading to Mlang,
Upon reaching Kilometer 25, Barangay La Esperanza, Tulunan, one of two hitchhikers pulled a handgun and ordered de Vera to divert the vehicle heading toward the border of Tulunan and Makilala, both infested by New People's Army (NPA) guerrillas.
Few kilometers later, the two men ordered de Vera to alight and commandeered the vehicle to Makilala. De Vera reported the incident to Tulunan PNP.
He was not harmed, Cordero said.
The truck was later found to have been torched by the suspects, believed to be extortionists.
"We are still investigating the incident," Cordero said, adding that investigators are looking at extortion as possible motive.
But he said the construction firm did not complain of any extortion attempt from any group in the province.
The truck was owned by Lao construction company which is constructing part of the Mlang airport in Barangay Tawan-Tawan, Mlang,
No one has claimed responsibility.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=603030