Soldiers accused of posing as NPA rebels

From the Manila Times (Mar 17): Soldiers accused of posing as NPA rebels

The Armed Forces of the Philippines and the New People’s Army (NPA) traded accusations over the weekend over the issuance of permits to campaign (PTC) with the rebel group claiming that government troopers had been posing as rebels and charging local candidates for the issuance of the permits.

National Democratic Front-Bicol spokesman Greg Bañares, in a radio interview, cited a mayoral candidate and three vice mayoral candidates in the first district of Albay and a vice mayoral bet in the third district were allegedly receiving text messages demanding a certain amount to allow them to campaign in rebel-controlled areas.

He said that the candidates were told to deliver the money in a designated place where someone posing as a Maoist rebel would meet the candidate or his representative.

“These are fake rebels,” said Bañares.

The rebel group spokesman claimed that the Maoist militant group had traced the numbers used and found out that it came from someone from the Ninth Infantry Division based in Camarines Sur.

Bañares said that the practice of the rebels is simply to write and invite candidates to a meeting in a designated place where a negotiator would discuss the campaign permit.

“That is our practice and we don’t have to use a mere text messages or letter without the succeeding formal dialogue,” Bañares added.

Meanwhile, Col. Ricardo Visaya, commander of the 901st Brigade of the Army denied the allegations of the rebel group spokesman, saying that soldiers are not engaged in “extortion.”

“Our duty is to give protection and security to all including candidates,” he told The Manila Times.

Visaya noted: “It is ironic for the NPA to deny their true color as an underground movement surviving on plain extortion.”

The army commander cited that in a gun battle two weeks ago two guerillas were killed and allegedly yielded a list of candidates subject to the campaign permit.

Visayas claimed that the list showed that a candidate for a seat in Congress and governorship are charged P500,000 to P600,000 for a permit-to-campaign.

He added that a barangay captain is even charged P20,000 for the said permit. Mayoral candidates, meanwhile, are charged P100,000 to P200,000, according to Visaya.

“These NPA [rebels] are a bunch of liars that they have to implicate soldiers in their own monopolized racket,” the army commander said.

“I am urging candidates facing the PTC demand to come to us for their security and protection,” he said, adding that the “PTC is the lone handiwork and brainchild of the underground movement.”

http://www.manilatimes.net/index.php/news/regions/43700-soldiers-accused-of-posing-as-npa-rebels