NPA bombs 11th Globe cell site

By ANTHONY VARGAS, The Manila Times Reporter and ARMAND M. GALANG, The Manila Times Central Luzon Bureau

New People’s Army rebels continue to target the Ayala-owned Globe telecommunications company by bombing its telecommunication site in Bukidnon late Sunday evening, military reports said Tuesday.

Reports reaching Camp Aguinaldo said that the Globe telecommunication facility in Impasugong, Bukidnon, is the fourth to be attacked in a span of four days and 11th since July.

The reports said the attack occurred at around 11 p.m., when 60-heavily armed men swooped down on the cell site compound.

The suspected insurgents disarmed the site’s lone security guard, planted an improvised bomb at the foot of the telecommunication tower and set it off. The explosion damaged one of the tower’s foundations.

Responding military and police personnel recovered from the scene 23 spent shells of assorted caliber of firearms and wires used by the rebels in detonating the bomb.

The report said the attack took place hours after suspected NPA rebels torched down a Globe telecommunication facility in Tagbilaran City in Bohol.

On Friday a group of armed men who introduced themselves as NPA members burned down a Globe cell site located in Pio Duran, Albay.

Before this, suspected NPA rebels also hit a Globe telecommunication tower outside the resort town of Puerto Galera, Mindoro, and another one in Midmanan, Camarines Sur.

Early this month, NPA rebels bombed and damaged Globe Telecoms facilities located in a remote barangay in Palanas, Masbate.

On August 24 NPA rebels made a show of force before a Globe cell site in Barangay Marinas, Sorsogon City. No one was hurt or damage in the incident.

On August 15 still undetermined number of NPA rebels raided a Globe cell site in Barangay Payapa, Lemery, Batangas. The rebels caused minor damage and took away a .38-caliber revolver, a mobile phone and a handheld radio.

On August 11 suspected NPA rebels swooped down on a Globe cell site in Barangay Tabun, Angeles, Pampanga. The rebels disarmed the guard and set on fire a generator set.

On August 1 suspected NPA rebels again strafed and damaged two microwave antennas of a Globe cell site in Barangay Burgos, San Jacinto, Masbate.

On July 24 insurgents strafed another Globe cell site in Barangay San Juan, Mandaon, Masbate. No damage was reported in the incident, but the rebels carted away a .38-caliber revolver and a two-way radio.

And on July 21 unknown number of NPA rebels damaged the parabolic antenna of a Globe Telecom facility in Barangay Dao of Pilar, Sorsogon.

Military and police officials said these attacks on telecommunication facilities are due to the refusal of the Ayala-owned utility to pay so-called revolutionary taxes to the communist rebels.

The communist insurgents have yet to attack the facilities of other telecommunication companies.

Meanwhile, three suspected NPA guerillas were killed while several high-powered firearms were recovered in a brief encounter with government troopers in Lupao, Nueva Ecija, on Sunday afternoon, the military reported.

Reports from the office of Maj. Gen. Jovito Palparan, commanding general of the Philippine Army’s 7th Infantry Division, said that a team from the 71st Infantry Brigade under certain First Lieutenant Yalanan was conducting a routine operation in Barangay Cordero, Lupao, Nueva Ecija, at about 3 p.m. Sunday when it encountered the suspected rebels.

The military suffered no casualties in the ensuing gun battle.

The military has yet to reveal the names of the fatalities. Soldiers recovered four M-16 assault rifles from the suspected insurgents

 

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Cell phone dealers have till yearend to register

By Clarissa Batino Inquirer News Service

THE National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) is giving mobile phone dealers and repair shops until the end of the year to comply with a year-old order for them to register with the regulator.

The commission feels the policy lacked sufficient information campaign, which resulted in the launch two weeks ago of a program called “NTC on Wheels,” NTC Chairman Ronald Solis said.

Like the Bureau of Internal Revenue, which rolls out its “BIR on Wheels” program during the tax season, the NTC is conducting an information campaign and bringing its program to malls where mobile phone shops and service centers abound, he said.

The program has no intention of apprehending the thousands of phone dealers and repair shop operators that have yet to enlist, Solis said even as he admitted that the low registration turnout had been discouraging.

The NTC estimated that there are 10,000-15,000 mobile phone dealers and 5,000-10,000 cellular phone repair shops in Metro Manila alone.

As of September, only 303 service centers and 695 phone dealers in Metro Manila had registered with the NTC. Nationwide, only 1,501 repair shops and 1,883 mobile phone dealers heeded the order for registration after the commission's circular took effect on Sept. 25, 2004.

“This is going to be purely an information drive and not an apprehension [drive]," Solis said. "We are also putting up registration booths in malls and areas where these shops can mostly be found." With INQ7.net