Rebels use poll campaign season to raise funds

By William B Depasupil /Manila Times

The communist New People’s Army (NPA) is turning the political campaign season into an opportune time to raise funds via extortion and forced taxation of civilians, business outfits and political candidates.

Documents recently recovered by the Eighth Infantry Division in Eastern Visayas, revealed that the rebels are actively enforcing its writ. The documents showed a breakdown for what the militants called as “electoral alliance fee” for  all candidates seeking their support.

Candidates for governor are charged 5mn pesos; vice governor-representative, P500,000; board member/mayor, P100,000; vice mayor, P75,000 and councilor, P50,000.

During the 2010 national election, the rebel group also issued permit-to-win cards to candidates in exchange for their money. These cards were color-coded according to the price and the office the politician was running. The blue card, worth P2mn up, was being offered to congressional and gubernatorial candidates; while the yellow, green and red cards, priced from P10,000 to P500,000, were intended for other candidates.

The cards bore serial numbers and the signature of the local rebel group leader guaranteeing that “the people’s revolutionary government (PRG), through the NPA, allows the bearer to campaign within the PRG/NPA guerilla territories in accordance with the provisions stated at the back.”

Besides Eastern Visayas, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has received information that rebels have also started sending their “rates” in northern Luzon. In a bid to neutralise this “tax” menace, Gen. Emmanuel Bautista, Army chief of staff, came up with a directive on Friday after being informed that the rebels have stepped up their forced fundraising scheme, following the start of the official campaign for the forthcoming mid-term elections in May.

Bautista, at the same time, reiterated his earlier appeal to candidates and owners of big businesses and economic establishments not to give in to the rebels’ demand, as it would only bolster the guerrillas’ means to conduct terrorist activities.

“It is time for all of us to put a stop to the NPA’s armed violence, which only spells more problems and harm to our peace-loving citizens. The more the candidates and our voters are made aware of this extortion scheme the more we can guard ourselves against it,” Bautista said.

The Armed Forces, he added, will continue to perform its mandated task in line with the election period by intensifying its security patrols and random checkpoints with the Philippine National Police and the Commission on Elections.

Col. Arnulfo Marcelo Burgos Jr, Army spokesman, said that it is usually during the election season that the NPA exploits the political ambition of certain candidates by vigorously imposing their payment scheme.

In 2012, Burgos said the Maoist rebels collected P25mn through their extortion activities and some P300mn in 2011, adding that much more is possibly collected during the election period.

“The AFP therefore joins in the outcry for these candidates not to fall prey to the NPA’s scheme, which limits and violates the rights to equality, free opinion, free expression, information, assembly, freedom of movement and freedom against discrimination, among others of candidates and political parties who fail, or refuse to pay the same,” Burgos further said.

Similarly, Burgos pointed out that the rebels effectively disenfranchises eligible voters, who reside in their “territories” from fully exercising their right to suffrage, for without their consent the voters are prevented from receiving valuable information about the candidates that would enable them to make an informed choice.