News Flash!
By Manny Pinol
One person was believed killed and another was wounded when about 30 heavily-armed communist guerillas attacked a rubber processing plant in Barangay Talon-talonan, Makilala town, North Cotabato at 8:30 p.m. Sunday.
An early morning report made by Radio Station DXND of the Notre Dame Broadcasting Corp. said the rebels burned down the processing plant owned by the Pacheco family, the Standard Rubber Development Corporation, a company which has been accused by rubber farmers in the area for controlling the prices of raw rubber.
Radio Station DXND quoted 1Lt. Nasrullah Sema of the 57th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army based in Makilala as saying that one person was believed killed and two others were wounded in the attack.
The Radio Station identified the fatality as Hector Lalaguna, apparently a relative of Makilala’s former vice mayor and now councilor Manuel Lalaguna.
The wounded individuals were not immediately identified.
Sema, interviewed over DXND this morning, said they are looking at two angles, including extortion and the very low prices of rubber products by farmers.
Left-leaning groups have been very vocal about their sympathy for the farmers in the area following the drop of raw rubber prices from as high as P90 per kilo to only about P36 now.
Sema said the rebels burned down the processing plant which prompted other workers nearby to respond in an attempt to put out the fire.
The victims, Sema said, were in the vehicle carrying the responders when they wre fired upon by the rebels.
A roadside bomb was also detonated by the rebels as they fled the area after the attack.
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