Guerrillas make presence felt with cell tower attacks

Baguio City: Communist rebels launched a series of coordinated attacks in Bicol and Cordillera regions on Friday in an apparent bid to dispel government claims of a decline in insurgent activity.

Reports said that communist New People's Army (NPA) guerrillas attacked cellular communications towers of Globe Telecoms in the provinces of Albay, Sorsogon and Camarines Norte in the Bicol peninsula.

Colonel Ariel Bernardo, a commanding officer of the Philippine Army was quoted by the Bombo Radio network station as saying that the rebels started the series of attacks by bombing the Globe Telecom cellsite in the village of Humapon in Legazpi City.

The assault in Humapon was closely followed five minutes after by a rebel attack in the village of Bacong Ligao, then in the town of Barcelona in Sorsogan and then in Jovellar Albay.

Earlier in the day, guerrillas torched a Globe Telecom transmission tower in the town of Del Gallego in the province of Camarines Sur.

Further up in the northern portion of the country, authorities also reported a seeming increase in rebel activity.

Cordillera police intelligence and investigation chief Superintendent Jesus Cambay acknowledged there is an increased rebel activity in various areas in the Cordillera region.

"It is not that they have gained more strength," said Cambay, "but their terror activities are increasing."

"They only want their presence felt. Their attacks do not show at all their strength," Armas added.

- With inputs from Gilbert Felongco