‘Extortion’ behind solar farm attack

BACOLOD CITY—The attack on the biggest solar farm in Negros Occidental last week was a case of plain and simple extortion, authorities said.

Around 90 solar panels at the P10billion solar farm of Helios Solar Energy Corporation in Barangay Tinampa-an, Cadiz City, were damaged as the attackers, suspected to be New People’s Army (NPA) fighters, used hand grenades, high-powered weapons and grenade launchers.

The company estimates the damage from Thursday night’s attack to reach P3.1 million, Lt.

Col. Darrel Banez of the 62nd Infantry Battalion Commander said.

The plant was developed through a partnership between Gregorio Araneta Inc. and Soleq, one of Southeast Asia's largest solar independent power producers, whose mother company is Equis.

The 132.5-megawatt facility with 427,392 solar panels located in a 176hectare area, was inaugurated in March last year.

Cadiz City Mayor Patrick Escalante said the damage was minimal and suspects the New People’s Army (NPA) to be behind the attack.

The police and military on Sunday said extortion was the motive for the attack, since the farm’s management had refused to give in to the demands of the perpetrators.

Sr. Supt. Rodolfo Castil, provincial police chief of Negros Occidental, said he has coordinated with the Army to increase patrols and visibility operations in the area.

Police investigation showed that about 17 armed men had passed by the house of a certain Isagani Cabrera in Tinampaan at about 6:20 p.m. Thursday.

The group, who spoke both Hiligaynon and Cebuano, then proceeded went to the solar farm, where they opened up with automatic rifles and a grenade launcher, and lobbed fragmentation grenades.

Aside from the solar panels, a CCTV installed on a post was also damaged, The police said no one was hurt in the attack.

Maj. Gen. Jon Aying, 3rd Infantry Division commander, said Monday the NPA in Negros has revealed its true nature as an anti-people and antidevelopment group when they raided the solar power farm.

Before the attack, Aying said the solar company reportedly received an extortion demand from the Roselyn Jean Pelle Command, Northern Negros Front of the NPA, in June 2015, but ignored it.

“Refusal of the NPA’s extortion demand is also equivalent to the disapproval of their terroristic acts like killings, arsons, and rebellion,” Aying said.

“As much as possible, we are discouraging business and others firms to refrain from complying with the demands of extortionists, Castil said.