From the Philippine News Agency (Feb 18): SOLCOM commander calls bus burning incident as economic sabotage
The commanding general of the Southern Luzon Command (SOLCOM) on Tuesday condemned the armed men believed to be members of the New People’s Army (NPA)who torched eight buses of JAM Liner Bus Company in Lemery, Batangas on Sunday.
SOLCOM commander Lt. Gen. Caesar Ronnie F. Ordoyosaid the arson incident constitutes economic sabotage of the outlawed group to paralyze transport business.
Lt. Gen. Ordoyo said the attack was meant to pressure the bus company management into paying revolutionary taxes.
“This incident manifests the NPA’s lack of concern for the welfare of ordinary workers. Senseless as they are and their rampant extortion activities, the crime they committed could result in closure of companies and thereby make people jobless,” the SOLCOM commanding general expressed.
He also pointed to the insurgents’ desperate move of disguising themselves as government soldiers by wearing military camouflage uniform when they carried out their devious ways.
Ordoyo also described witness’ accounts how the lawless group disarmed security guards and roused the drivers and conductors from their sleep inside the buses.
At gun point, the alleged arsonists ordered the bus drivers and crew to disembark before dousing the vehicles with gasoline and setting them on fire.
“That is why this dastardly act by the NPAs hampers our economic development. These rebels are out to sabotage our development efforts for four decades already,” Ordoyo said.
He belittled NPA’s wicked moves and assessed the dissident group is incapable of mounting large scale attacks against authorities.
Ordoyo added this is the reason the NPA misguided elements instead sow violence against “soft targets” in order to support their propaganda war against the government.
“The NPA cannot defeat the AFP head on; hence, they are waging a protracted war to destroy our economy. We should not be pressured by these terroristic acts but fight and defeat the NPA,” he challenged.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=617360
The commanding general of the Southern Luzon Command (SOLCOM) on Tuesday condemned the armed men believed to be members of the New People’s Army (NPA)who torched eight buses of JAM Liner Bus Company in Lemery, Batangas on Sunday.
SOLCOM commander Lt. Gen. Caesar Ronnie F. Ordoyosaid the arson incident constitutes economic sabotage of the outlawed group to paralyze transport business.
Lt. Gen. Ordoyo said the attack was meant to pressure the bus company management into paying revolutionary taxes.
“This incident manifests the NPA’s lack of concern for the welfare of ordinary workers. Senseless as they are and their rampant extortion activities, the crime they committed could result in closure of companies and thereby make people jobless,” the SOLCOM commanding general expressed.
He also pointed to the insurgents’ desperate move of disguising themselves as government soldiers by wearing military camouflage uniform when they carried out their devious ways.
Ordoyo also described witness’ accounts how the lawless group disarmed security guards and roused the drivers and conductors from their sleep inside the buses.
At gun point, the alleged arsonists ordered the bus drivers and crew to disembark before dousing the vehicles with gasoline and setting them on fire.
“That is why this dastardly act by the NPAs hampers our economic development. These rebels are out to sabotage our development efforts for four decades already,” Ordoyo said.
He belittled NPA’s wicked moves and assessed the dissident group is incapable of mounting large scale attacks against authorities.
Ordoyo added this is the reason the NPA misguided elements instead sow violence against “soft targets” in order to support their propaganda war against the government.
“The NPA cannot defeat the AFP head on; hence, they are waging a protracted war to destroy our economy. We should not be pressured by these terroristic acts but fight and defeat the NPA,” he challenged.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=617360