Banana plantation attacked in Surigao

BUTUAN CITY – A late Sunday night raid on a banana plantation in Tagbina, Surigao del Sur by still unidentified men resulted in the destruction of a waiting shed and a huge harvest of fully grown bananas, a regional police spokesman said here yesterday.

According to Police Regional Office 13 (PRO 13) spokesman Supt. Martin M. Gamba, the suspects burned the facilities and produce of SUMIFRU Banana Plantation located in Barangay Sta. Fe at around 10:30 p.m. Sunday.

“Our troops are also determining the identities of the perpetrators and motive of the incident,” said Supt. Martin M. Gamba, spokesman of Police Regional Office 13 (PRO 13).

He said PRO 13 Regional Director Chief Supt. Vert T. Chavez has already directed the Surigao del Sur provincial director and the provincial mobile force commander, as well as the Tagbina municipal chief of police, to join their forces in pursuing the perpetrators for their immediate arrest and filing of criminal charges against them.

The incident was reported by SUMIFRU head guard, Jaime R. Estrada to Tagbina Municipal Police Station (MPS) about the burning of the company’s waiting shed and banana harvest.

He said the fully grown banana hills near and around the waiting shed were severely damaged due to extreme heat.

“Cost of damage banana hills is yet to be determined,” said Supt. Gamba.