The military said yesterday that an estimated P1.85 billion in properties were destroyed in the series of New People’s Army attacks in Davao City last week.
Major General Rafael Valencia, chief of Army 10th Infantry Division, said the attacks also left many Lapanday Foods Corp. workers jobless. “What I know is the estimate is about P1.85 billion worth of equipment and properties destroyed due to the series of attacks,” Valencia said.
“Those affected are employees of Lapanday Corp. They lost their jobs because of the NPA atrocities. There is also a possibility that those working in the banana industry might also get affected because that is where they buy box and plastics for their product,” he said.
Valencia said that the atrocities committed by the NPA are not only on Lapanday but also on the people of Davao City.
“Actually in the long run, it’s the people of the Philippines. It also sends a wrong signal to the investors that Davao City is developing with all the investments but attacks are happening. We should address this matter,” Valencia said.
“That’s why we are taking action to secure the area and prevent a similar incident from happening.”
Meanwhile, the fish vendor who was wounded in the attacks and fell into a coma has died.
Larry Buenafe, said Ricardo Audan, chief of clinics at the Southern Philippines Medical Center in Davao City, died due to severe head injury secondary to his blast injury at 4 a.m. yesterday.
Buenafe died after the National Democratic Front ordered the payment of damages to the family of Buenafe.
(Francis T. Wakefield and Yas D. Ocampo)