SUSPECTED members of the New People’s Army (NPA) were believed to be behind the bomb explosion that damaged a backhoe at a quarry in Purok Catilingan, Barangay Orong, Kabankalan City in Negros Occidental Sunday night.
The backhoe was owned by Raquel Siguero, a council member of Barangay Hilamonan.
Superintendent Rhea Santos, city police chief, said the eight alleged rebels arrived around 9 p.m. and took the cellular phones of the two caretakers.
They told the two to hide. An explosion followed, but the caretakers were unharmed.
The rebels told them that the explosion was a warning to the owner to stop acquiring lands.
The perpetrators escaped on foot, and crossed a river towards Barangay Camansi.
Santos said there were no threats or even presence of suspicious persons and activities in the area prior to the incident.
