A unit of the New People’s Army (NPA) in Southeast Negros under the Rachalle Mae Palang Command (RMPC) successfully carried out a punitive action Saturday evening against quarry operator H.N. in Sitio Major, Barangay Cawitan, Start. Catalina, Negros Oriental.

The Red Fighters, according to RMPC spokesperson Ka Estrella Banagbanag, incinerated scores of backhoes and pay loaders and disarmed the security personnel of H.N. owned by Hayney and Nestor Lim.

Ka Estrella explained that RMPC prompted to take such action in response to various complaints and demands of the masses in the area duly processed by the people’s court.

RMPC social investigation and research revealed that in almost 21 years of H.N operation seven deaths attributable to its deep dredging activities in Cawitan River were reported. However, these were totally ignored by the local authorities and H.N remains scot-free from it’s criminal liability.

Ka Estrella further explained that recently production plummeted causing shortfall of food for local consumption.

The annual gross production output of around 27 rice farming households cultivating approximately 31.44 hectares of rice fields is about 7,860 sacks of palay. But quarrying diverted and eventually drained their sources of irrigation water resulting in the loss of about 3,930 sacks of palay or one cropping season.

RMPC called on all business enterprises and economic undertaking operating within the guerilla zones to abide with the environmental policies and other social impact regulations set forth by the people’s democratic government.

The NPA will not hesitate to impose sanction and punitive action to those who destroy the environment and deprive the people of their sources of livelihood.