Another bus set on fire in South Cotabato

KORONADAL CITY -- Unidentified gunmen set on fire yet another bus plying South Cotabato and this city at 7:15 tonight, the fourth bus torched by unidentified suspects and the sixth attack against bus companiessince Nov. 13, police said.A tricycle driver rushed to DXOM-AM Radyo Bida Studio and asked the security guard to call the fire department because a bus was on fire along the highway, about a kilometer away from the radio station.Supt. Franklin Alvero, South Cotabato police provincial director, said the Husky Bus was heading for Gen. Santos City from Cotabato City via Isulan in Sultan Kudarat and Tacurong City.Quoting witnesses, police said a man boarded the passenger vehicle in Tacurong City. Upon reaching Barangay Morales, he asked the driver that he will alight.The driver then pulled over. As the passenger was leaving the bus, about six or eight men armed with hand guns quickly hopped in and, at gun point, told the driver to leave.A witness told Radyo Bida Koronadal that the man from Tacurong who disembark in front of hotel told other passengers to alight with him because it will be set on fire. He was saying it as soon as the gunmen boarded the bus.They thendoused gasoline and set the vehicleon fire.Police said the upper portion of the bus (body number 6833 with temporary licensed plate 1301-658771) was totally torched when responding fire officers arrived.It was owned and operated by the General Santos CityBIOCOOP Transport and commonly known as Spartan Bus because it is the only bus plying the Gen. Santos-South Cotabato-Sultan Kudarat-Cotabato City route, passing through Maguindanao's conflict affected communities.Mayor Peter Miguel said the burning of Husky Bus was well planned and the attackers could be from outside the city.It was the second attack against Husky bus since Nov. 27 when gunmen set on fire another Husky bus in Tantangan, South Cotabato.Two other buses owned by Yellow Bus Lines (YBL) were torched by men who claimed they were communist guerillas in Tupi andSto Nino towns sinceNov. 13The YBL lost four buses in the hands of gunmen since Nov. 13, to include the one torched in Kiamba, Sarangani province and in Magsaysay, Davao del Sur.Aside from buses, gunmen claiming they were NPAs set ablaze construction and quarry equipment in Koronadal City last week and a Dole Philippines banana plantation packing plant in Surallah, South Cotabato.