The New People’s Army (NPA) claimed responsibility for the burning of five sugarcane trucks in Toboso, Negros Occidental, in a statement on Tuesday, December 27.
Three sugarcane trucks were burned at So. Carbon, Brgy. San Isidro, Toboso, Negros Occidental, at 4 a.m. on Monday, December 26, the police reported.
Investigation showed that the engines of the three Isuzu SKW sugarcane trucks were burned, the report said.
A unit of the Roselyn Jean Pelle Command (RJCP) – Northern Negros Guerilla Front of the NPA burned three more sugarcane trucks owned by Teotimo Ballesteros on the 54th founding anniversary of the Communist Party of the Philippines, a statement from its spokesman Cecil Estrella said.
“The punitive action is the second incident against class enemy Ballesteros. On December 14, the NPA set fire to two cane trucks in Barangay Tabun-ac in the same town,” the statement said.
Ballesteros’ sugar lands are within the guerrilla zones, it claimed.
The NPA alleged that the landowner disregarded his farm workers repeated calls for wage increases and benefits.
“The only peace talks the revolutionary forces in northern Negros promote is the one that addresses the wage and land issues…the peace talks should be at a national-scale that tackles the root cause of armed conflict – genuine land reform to address landlessness, national industrialization to address unsecured jobs, among others,” the statement said.*