BY GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Seven unidentified suspects burned a heavy equipment in Sitio Bulod, Brgy. Carabalan, Himamaylan City, Negros Occidental on Sept. 11.
PLt. Col. Romeo Vargas, Himamaylan City police chief, however, said that the suspects spared the heavy equipment operator, a barangay tanod, and two other civilians from harm after burning the backhoe.
Initial police investigations showed that the suspects poured gasoline and set on fire the heavy equipment owned by Erwin Javelosa, a contractor of a road concreting project linking Brgy. Carabalan, Himamaylan City, Negros Occidental, to Tayasan, Negros Oriental.
Lt. Col. Angelo Guzman, 94th Infantry Battalion commander, said they are still investigating if the suspects are indeed members of the New People’s Army, in coordination with the Himamaylan City police.
Vargas said the estimated damage has yet to be established, although the price of the backhoe was reported to be P3.5 million.
However, the other heavy equipment in the area was mysteriously spared from destruction.
Vargas said they are also pursuing other angles of the arson incident, aside from insurgency-related issues.*
