Suspected New People’s Army rebels struck again Saturday night by raiding the fish farm owned by the nephew of Governor Alfredo Marañon Jr.  in Sagay City, Negros Occidental.

The group carted away five high-powered firearms and ammunition, as well as personal belongings of watchmen and workers.

Police investigations showed that about 25 armed rebels swooped down on the fish farm of Joseph Edgar Sarrosa in Brgy. Bulanon, Sagay City, at about 10 p.m. Saturday, disarmed the watchmen of their firearms that included two M-14 assault rifles, an M-16 armalite rifle, a 12-gauge shotgun and a homemade .22  caliber revolver, and wallets and cellular phones of fishpond workers, and took an ICOM base radio.

Supt. Harold Tuzon, Sagay police chief, said the rebels ordered the watchmen and fishpond workers not to resist, as they were only interested in the high-powered firearms.

The raid at the fish farm of Sarrosa, which is about 15 kilometers away from the Sagay City poblacion, came almost a week after rebels also raided the Philex Mining Company compound in Sipalay City, Negros Occidental, who also destroyed P3 million worth of property and disarmed the guards of four firearms.

WORKERS UNHARMED

Tuzon said the rebels left unharmed the fish farm watchmen and workers after the 15-minute raid, and withdrew in separate directions.

In 2008, rebels also raided coastal police outpost in Barangay Vito, which is adjacent to Brgy. Bulanon Sagay City, Negros Occidental, and carted away two M-14 assault rifles and police uniforms.

Last month, suspected rebels also raided two haciendas in EB Magalona, Negros Occidental, and torched three farm tractors , which reportedly triggered refusal of their respective owners to pay revolutionary taxes.

The rebel raids in an EB Magalona hacienda yielded an M16 assault rifle, and four firearms from watchmen of Philex mines in Sipalay City, police records also showed.

SOFT TARGETS

Lt. Col. Eduardo Gubat, 62nd Infantry Battalion commander, said the NPA prefers to hit “soft targets” such as haciendas, private firms and companies, whose defenses are weak, and only need minor efforts.

Gubat said the raid at the fish farm of Sarrosa may also be a reminder for them not to support government authorities in their peace and development efforts.

CALLS FOR PEACE TALKS

Marañon has been constantly criticized by the NPA hierarchy in Negros for his repeated calls for local peace talks.

Ka Juanito Magbanua, spokesman of the Apolinario Gatmaitan Command, in a statement they issued to the Visayan DAILY STAR last night, discouraged the Negrenses from being fooled by the “sweet words” of Gov. Marañon, whom he accused of behind the mining operations in the mountains and shorelines of Sagay and Cadiz that allegedly led to the dislocation of peasants and fishermen.

Magbanua further claimed that Marañon was also behind the systematic displacement of more than 8,000 people within the Northern Negros Forest Reserve, who will be replaced by imported cattle.

Col. Francisco Patrimonio, 303rd Infantry Brigade commander, said there will be no let-up in operations against NPA rebels behind the series of atrocities and destruction of properties in Negros Occidental.

Patrimonio said troopers of the newly-arrived 3rd Scout Ranger Company, who came from Samar, were immediately mobilize to link up with other Army units, in tracking down the armed communist rebels.

‘MILITARY GARRISON’

Andrea Guerrero, spokesperson of the Armando Sumayang Command, said the military is now making a “military garrison” of Sipalay City, which is a host to mining operations in southern Negros, to protect the interest of giant mining firms, at the expense of the ordinary people.

“It is our mandate to run after armed men responsible for atrocities,” Patrimonio said.

Magbanua further claimed that they have successfully launched 21 coordinated tactical offensives in 31 days that started from June 5 to July 6 this year.

In the same period, Magbanua claimed they had killed seven soldiers and inflicted injuries to 15 others, seized six high-powered guns, punished three military intelligence assets.*GPB

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