The Bureau of Fire Protection yesterday filed arson charges before the Provincial Prosecutor's Office of Negros Occidental against suspected New People's Army rebels for the burning of a farm tractor in Brgy. Alicante, EB. Magalona. last year.

The burning of the tractor in Hacienda Teresa, owned by Arturo Ledesma, in June last year, was triggered by his refusal to pay revolutionary taxes, military and police records show.

Named as respondents in the arson case were Hernando Llorente Jr. , alias Ka Odoy; Arlo Vargas, alias Ka Blas Poloy;, Rogelio Posadas, alias Ka Poten/Isko Roman/Roger/Philip; Charity Amacan-Villar, alias Ka Lumen/Nelia, Benhur Perez; Justiniano Palay, alias Ka Paloy; and those with aliases Ka Koing Alba, Ka Jamil, Ka Chedenga, Ka Jay and Ka Mark, who are all at-large.

The raid at the hacienda of Ledesma was led by Llorente, who burned a Kubota 7500 tractor and disarmed hacienda security guard Mario Lachica of his M16 assault rifle with seven magazines of ammunition..

Before the rebels left, Llorente fired his M-16 assault rifle, hitting another security guard identified as Christopher Herza, the witnesses whose identities being withheld for security reasons, said in a joint affidavit.

Four other farm tractors were also burned by suspected rebels in Brgy. San Isidro, EB Magalona and in Brgy. Carabalan, Himamaylan City, last year, and recently in Brgy. Cabacungan, La Castellana, also for not complying with the extortion demands of the NPA, military records also showed.

In a statement, yesterday, the NPA Leonardo Panaligan Command, claimed responsibility for the burning of a tractor owned by the family of Bacolod City Councilor Al Victor Espino, who confirmed that they had received three extortion letters from the lawless communist rebel group signed by Ka Armando Magbanua.*GPB

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