CAMP OLIVAS, PAMPANGA - Unidentified men torched a cellsite tower of Sun Cellular located at the compound of Fredels's Resort in Barangay Lawy in Capas, Tarlac early evening Tuesday sending the entire Tarlac area sub-network to malfunction, police said yesterday.
"Operations in all sub-cellsites have been paralyzed as a result of the incident," police reports said.
Larry Cayabyab, owner of the resort sought the help of local police and fire investigators and had the damage assessed.
The cellsite tower is located in a remote village some 10 kilometers away from Capas town. Police said the incident occurred past 7 p.m.
It was gathered that no security guards is detailed at the tower when the entire facility was set on fire.
Police and fire investigators noticed a destroyed portion of the cyclone wire that served as perimeter fence of the cellsite tower.
The suspects, police said, also destroyed the padlock of the main door leading to the transmission room and poured gasoline before setting it on fire.
Police and fire investigators reported that the blaze rapidly spread inside the transmission room and almost gutted the communication equipment.
Alejo Fernando, company supervisor of Sun Cellular Telephone Company, who was also informed by the police and local firefighters about the incident, has yet to release the estimated cost of damages.
Investigators found two bars believed used by the suspects in destroying the main door of the transmission room and an empty one-liter plastic container still containing some gasoline
in it.
The recovered items were brought by the investigators for further laboratory examinations, the police report said.
Fernando told police and arson probers that his office did not receive any demand letters from suspected rebels or threats from them.
"The Sun Cellular Management has not received any threat or demand letters from any left-leaning groups," Fernando told probers.
Police and arson probers are still investigating the case.-Jess Malabanan
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