TEN still unidentified armed men who reportedly claimed to be New People’s Army (NPA) guerrillas broke into the terminal of Victory Liner on Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (Edsa), Quezon City, on Wednesday night and set on fire one of its buses, the police said.

The fire later spread to the other parked buses, damaging four more, according to a report from the Central Police District.

Senior Supt. Magtanggol Gatdula, Quezon City police chief, however, doubted if the attack was really the handiwork of communist rebels.

Gatdula said the city police did not receive any intelligence report indicating that the NPA planned to attack in the city.

He said the crime must be labor-related or carried out by drivers who have been fired by the company.

Gatdula said the company, which was “too strict” with its workers, is quick in suspending or dismissing drivers who get involved in accidents.

He also said the attack must have been carried out by extortionists posing as rebels.

Gatdula, however, said investigators are still looking into the incident.

Reports said the assailants, who were onboard two vans, barged into the terminal located at the corner of Denver and New York Streets in Cubao, at past 11 p.m. on Wednesday, and disarmed its security guard, Alexander Ranola, of his caliber .38 revolver.

The assailants then herded the employees to one place before pouring gasoline and lacquer thinner on one of the buses and setting it ablaze.

Ranola said the armed men told them to keep silent and identified themselves as members of the NPA.

His statement was corroborated by another employee.

The alleged rebels escaped onboard a white Asian Utility Vehicle upon seeing that the bus was already on fire.

Director Geary Barias, Metro Manila police commander, ordered Gatdula to explain the incident.

Barias was irked by reports that the gate and even the compound of the bus terminal was only being secured by a lone watchman.

The attack on the compound of Victory Liner happened just days after Director General Avelino Razon Jr., National Police chief, ordered the establishment of checkpoints within Metro Manila, especially in areas near where businesses are located.

He also ordered the implementation of a clustering system which will be manned by a team of policemen headed by a supervisor.

Thailand commits to fill in RP rice needs

IN the spirit of Asean unity and brotherhood, visiting Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej on Thursday committed to supply whatever rice requirements the Philippines would need in the future.

TEN still unidentified armed men who reportedly claimed to be New People’s Army (NPA) guerrillas broke into the terminal of Victory Liner on Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (Edsa), Quezon City, on Wednesday night and set on fire one of its buses, the police said.

THE Department of Justice (DOJ) has found probable cause to indict three building engineers and five employees for reckless imprudence resulting in multiple homicide and gross negligence in connection with the October 19, 2007, blast that destroyed Glorietta 2 in Makati City, that left 11 persons dead and more than 100 others injured.

EDITA BURGOS, the mother of missing political activist Jonas Burgos, on Thursday asked the Court of Appeals (CA) to cite former Armed Forces chief of staff Hermogenes Esperon Jr. and several other military and police officials in contempt for having filed a false return to the writ of amparo issued by the Supreme Court (SC).

FOUR men were killed in a series of police operations in Batangas on Wednesday and early Thursday morning as the police stepped up their hunt for the suspects involved in the bloody bank robbery in Laguna last week.

QUEZON City mayor Feliciano Belmonte started the ball rolling for the redevelopment of the Quezon Circle to revive it as the central park of the metropolis and give it due importance as the shrine of President Manuel Quezon. The late president and his wife, Aurora, are buried in the monument in the center of the park.

ZAMBOANGA CITY—Gunmen staged an ambush killing a Marine and wounding another in Sulu.

A police report disclosed that the incident took place Tuesday in sitio Dan Puti, barangay Liang, Patikul.