Suspected New People's Army rebels struck again in Brgy. Caduhaan, Cadiz on Saturday, and burned two more tractors and a cargo truck owned by Hacienda Gamboa reportedly for refusal of the management to pay P1 million in revolutionary taxes, the military said.

Lt. Col. Felicisimo Budiongan, Task Group North commander, said the hacienda is owned by the family of E.B. Magalona Mayor Alfonso Gamboa.

About a month earlier rebels also torched two farm tractors of a sugar planter in the same place, for refusal to comply with the extortion demands of the New People's Army, Budiongan added.

Military investigations show the suspected rebel arsonists, estimated at 20, were led by a certain Omar.

Budiongan said members of the CPP-NPA keep coming back to the barangay to extort money from sugar planters, and punish those who refuse to pay what the insurgents call revolutionary taxes.

Pursuit operations against the arsonists were still ongoing yesterday.

The damage on the farm equipment of Gamboa has not been determined yet.

Lt. Col. Jess Manangquil, 11th Infantry Battalion commander, said operations against the New People's Army are being conducted without let-up, and are aimed at preventing them from further terrorizing the people in northern and central Negros.*GPB

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