NPA now collecting permits-to-campaign fees from politicians

From the Daily Tribune (Feb 16): NPA now collecting permits-to-campaign fees from politicians

The communist New People’s Army (NPA) has started collecting permits-to-campaign fees from politicians in various parts of the country as election campaign for national candidates kicked off last Monday, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) yesterday said.

Citing information gathered from recovered NPA documents recently, Col. Arnulfo Marcelo Burgos Jr., AFP spokesman, said that the NPA charges P5 million for gubernatorial bets; P500,000 for those running for vice governor and congressman; P100,000 for board member or mayoral candidates; P75,000 for vice mayoral bets and P50,000 for those running for councilors.

“The AFP received information that members of the New People’s Army have begun their extortion activities by imposing on candidates the ‘permits to campaign’ or PTC and ‘permits to win or PTW,” said Burgos.

“Documents recently recovered by the 8th Infantry Division in Eastern Visayas reveal that the NPA is still actively pursuing its PTC/PTW scheme to all local candidates. The documents show(ed) a breakdown for what the NPA calls their “electoral alliance fee” to all candidates seeking their support,” added Burgos.

According to Burgos, the AFP has received information that NPA rebels have already started sending their “rates” in Northern Luzon and Eastern Visayas areas.

“And now that the campaign period has officially started, the AFP appeal to the general public to be extra vigilant. It is usually during the election season that the NPA exploits the political ambition of certain candidates by vigorously imposing this scheme,” said Burgos.

The AFP has warned that giving in to such NPA demands will only strengthen the communist group to continue conducting atrocities.

“The AFP appeals not only to our candidates but to all owners of big businesses and economic establishments, that giving into the NPA’s demands will only bolster their means to conduct terroristic activities,” said Burgos.

During the 2010 national elections, the AFP claimed that the NPA collected a total of P25,005,000 through their PTC and PTW schemes.

“In the previous election, the NPA issued PTC-PTW cards to candidates in exchange for payment of their electoral alliance fee. These cards were color-coded according to the price and the office the politician was running. The blue card, worth P2 million up, was being offered to congressional and gubernatorial candidates; while the yellow, green and red cards, priced between P10,000 and P500,000, were intended for other candidates,” said Burgos.

The cards, Burgos said, bore serial numbers and the signature of the local NPA leader guaranteeing that “the People’s Revolutionary Government (PRG) through the NPA, allows the bearer to campaign within the PRG/NPA guerrilla territories in accordance with the provisions stated at the back.”

http://www.tribune.net.ph/nation/item/10557-npa-now-collecting-permits-to-campaign-fees-from-politicians.html