Manhunt launched for NPAs who burned truck in Sarangani

GENERAL SANTOS CITY – The military has launched manhunt operations against New People’s Army (NPA) rebels who set on fire a delivery truck owned by a shopping mall here along the national highway in Malapatan, Sarangani last Monday.

Col. Robert Ancan, 1002nd Infantry Brigade commander, said troops from the 73rdInfantry Battalion were already conducting pursuit operations against the communist guerillas who burned a delivery truck owned by KCC Mall in Barangay Tuyan, Malapatan, Sarangani.

Police are eyeing extortion as possible motive for the attack.

Chief Insp. Theng Bacal, Malapatan police chief, said five unidentified armed men, who introduced themselves as NPA rebels, set ablaze the delivery truck as workers were unloading stocks at a local store in the area.

Police said the suspects, armed with handguns and automatic rifles, ordered the driver and his five other companions to disembark and proceeded to pour gasoline on the truck and set it on fire. Authorities placed the damage at P2.5 million The attack came after an improvised explosive device (IED) exploded Sunday night near the office of Lapanday Corp., a banana-export firm in Barangay Kalaong, Maitum, Sarangani.

No one was reported injured during the explosion.

Ancan said the IED attack could have been carried out by local Islamic militants as a diversionary tactic to ease the ongoing military offensive against ISIS-inspired local terror groups in Lanao and Maguindanao areas. (Joseph Jubelag)