By PNA and U.S. News Agency / Asian

Police authorities on Tuesday assured that the ongoing construction of the P19-billion Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway (TPLEx) would not be delayed with the burning of six dump trucks owned by one of its contractors last Sunday.

Tarlac police director Senior Supt. Alfred Corpus said that tight security measure is being implemented since the burning incident in Barangay Singat, Gerona town that resulted in an estimated P12-million damage to RBR Builders Ready Mixers and Construction, of Cabiao, Nueva Ecija, , a sub-contractor supplier of ready mix material to D.M. Consunji, Inc. (DMCI) that has a direct contract to TPLEx project.

Corpus said that a special investigation task force RBR was already created to handle the investigation.

He said three angles are now being eyed by the task force, that include the possible attack of the New People’s Army (NPA) rebels for revolutionary tax purposes.

He, however, refused to disclose the remaining two angles in order not to preempt the ongoing investigation.

Based on the report submitted by Gerona chief of police Supt. Ponciano Zafra, a white Toyota Innova without license plates stopped at the opened gate at the eastern portion of the construction site wherein seven armed men alighted from the vehicle and proceeded to the compound carrying some five gallons of gasoline and set the six dump trucks and one transit mixer worth P12 million on fire.

The fire was put out after an hour by responding elements of the Bureau of Fire Protection of Gerona town.

Authorities are still determining the motive of the burning incident.

Last February, at least 30 armed men also burned the heavy equipment of RD Policarpio Construction, at the TPLEX site in Barangay San Pascual, this city.