By Francis Wakefield
Remnants of the Communist New People’s Army Terrorist Group (CNTG) torched engineering equipment in the mountainous area of Zambales on Saturday.
Armed Forces of the Philippines-Northern Luzon Command (AFP-NoLCom) spokesman Lt. Col. Isagani Nato, said the incident took place at about 1 p.m.
He said members of the NPA, the armed component of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), operating in the boundaries and isolated barangays of said provinces, set ablaze one backhoe and one payloader worth millions at Sitio Oraan, Barangay. Cabatuan, Botolan, Zambales.
The armed NPA terrorist group, who set the equipment on fire, was then seen moving toward an uninhabited area of the said barangay after the incident.
Nato said government troops under the 3rd Mechanized Infantry Battalion (3MIB) immediately conducted pursuit operations and coordinated with the owner of the company for filing of appropriate case against the perpetrators.
The said engineering equipment are being utilized in the construction of Capas-Botolan Road Project, which would allow travelers easier access to and from the different towns of Tarlac and Zambales. Its construction would also provide commuters a shorter route and a more inexpensive travel than using the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX).