• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Negros Oriental First District Rep. Jocelyn Limkaichong has strongly condemned what she described as a brazen act of violence where about 30 armed men set on fire heavy equipment in the hinterlands of La Libertad town on Feb. 8.
Burned were two backhoes, a loader and a dump truck owned by a private construction company.
“This deliberate act of violence and destruction is a direct assault on peace and order as well as progress in our communities. Such lawlessness has no place in a society that strives for development with peace and security,” Limkaichong said in a statement, stressing that those behind the arson incident must be held accountable.
Initial investigation of the Negros Oriental Police Provincial Office showed the armed men poured gasoline into the heavy equipment before setting these on fire, but no one was hurt.
Col. J-Jay Javines, civil-military operations chief of the Philippine Army’s 3rd Infantry Division, said they have yet to establish if remnants of the New People’s Army were responsible for the act.
He added that the incident may delay the farm-to-market road project of La Libertad municipal government, which is supposed to link the hinterlands to the town proper.
Limkaichong called on the law enforcement agencies to expedite their investigations, identity the perpetrators, and ensure they will face the full force of the law. | GB
