Army admits poll bets submit to NPA racket

From the Daily Tribune (Apr 29): Army admits poll bets submit to NPA racket

HALF OF CANDIDATES IN PANAY, NEGROS SEEK REBEL PERMITS

The government had practically admitted being helpless in stopping political extortion operations in areas where the communist New People’s Army (NPA) operates as a ranking military official said half of local candidates seeking elective posts in Panay and Negros islands are giving in to the permit to campaign (PTC) and permit to win (PTW) schemes of the NPA.

Maj. Gen. Jose Mabanta Jr., commander of the Army’s 3rd Infantry Division (ID), said that the NPA rebels in the area are targeting the collection of P150 million during the upcoming May 13 elections.

According to Mabanta, the NPA rebels collect PTC and PTW fees ranging from P5,000 to P5 million, depending on the elective position of a candidate.

Last April 20, a band of NPAs who set up a roadblock waylaid a convoy of Gingoog City Mayor Ruthie Guingona, wife of former Vice President Teofisto Guingona, killing two of her aides.

Last Saturday, the government peace negotiating panel announced it is cutting off formal negotiations for peace with communist rebel groups.

Mabanta, however, said he is not aware of national candidates, or those seeking senatorial seats, giving in to the NPA demand within his area, composed of all the provinces in the Panay and Negros islands, Guimaras and Siquijor. “My estimate is that half of all political contenders are paying, from all positions. That is my belief,” said Mabanta. He, however, said he has not come up with the exact number of politicians paying PTC and PTW fees to the NPA within his jurisdiction.

“Among other periods, this (election) is when the NPAs make a killing out of their extortion. This is when they get most amount…this is more than extortion against businesses, against mining, logging. This is the biggest (source of extortion),” added Mabanta.

As of now, Mabanta could not say how much the NPA has collected in Eastern Visayas Region. He said that latest estimate placed the NPA strength in the region at 400 fighters.

The Army general lamented that political candidates continue to give in to the extortion activities of the NPA despite the government’s consistent warning against doing so. Mabanta warned that those who pay are not even sure if they will not be harassed by the NPAs.

“There is really no chain of command, they (NPAs) have no clear cut leadership. They are fighting. So they (politicians) may give in to one group then the next group, if they (politicians) go into their area, maybe they will not be spared,” said Mabanta.

“…they (NPAs) will be buying arms and ammunition and these may be fired and used against them (politicians) some other time not necessarily now,” added Mabanta.

Mabanta said that while government authorities, to include the military and the Philippine National Police (PNP), are bent on filing charges against those who give in to the NPA extortion, he admitted the difficulty in building up such cases.

“It’s really very hard to build legal charges or build cases against those who give in to PTC…you need a lot of evidence affidavits, sworn statements…we need people to go out in the open which is really very hard,” said Mabanta.

Some 18,000 posts are up for grabs in the May 13 elections, from the current crop of town and city mayors, provincial governors and members of parliament.

“With the amounts involved, they (NPA) will be buying arms and ammunition and these may be fired and used against them (politicians),” Mabanta said, warning that giving money to the rebels is illegal.

The money raised dwarfs the amounts regularly extorted from mining, logging and other businesses based in the rural areas where the 4,000-member guerrilla force operates, he added.

“This is when really the NPAs make a killing out of their extortion,” he added.

Violence linked to the polls has claimed at least 46 lives in more than 40 incidents since campaigning began in February, according to a police tally.

The NPA has been waging a 44-year-old Maoist armed campaign that has claimed at least 30,000 lives, according to a government estimate.

Several rounds of peace talks held since the late 1980s have gone nowhere.

The military added it is now identifying the “center of gravities” of the NPAs in Northern Mindanao and Caraga regions in the aftermath of the Guingona ambush.

Brig. Gen. Ricardo Visaya, officer-in-charge of the Army’s 4th Infantry Division (ID), said that once the NPAs bailiwicks are identified, the military will come out with the proper operation plan to address the communist menace.

“It’s more of identification of their (NPAs) center of gravities,” said Visaya when asked of any security adjustments following the ambush against the group of Guingona, wife of former Vice President Teofisto Guingona, in a remote area in Gingoog City.

Once the NPA’s “center of gravities” are identified, Visaya said that “the right operations should be applied.”

Visaya said that the military has certain parameters on how to identify the center of gravities.
“We will see what is really the situation in Misamis Oriental,” said Visaya.

Visaya said that part of the move is to establish the real strength of the NPA in the province.

Last Friday, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff Gen. Emmanuel Bautista relieved erstwhile 4th ID commander Maj. Gen. Nestor Anonuevo, who has jurisdiction over Misamis Oriental where the ambush happened.

Bautista, however, maintained the relief of Anonuevo was not solely because of the ambush. He said that it was part of the shuffling of officers for the 120,000-organoization to come out with proper approach in addressing the communist menace.

The NPA immdeaitely admitted responsibility over the ambush, accusing the group of Mrs Guingona of ignoring a roadblock and firing first at the rebels.

Mrs Guingona, however, belied such claim. The ambush killed two of her civilian aides while she sustained minor wounds, along with a policeman-escort. President Aquino immediately ordered the military and the police to dismantle NPA roadblocks in various parts of the country.

Early this year, reports from the Army field units that some candidates received PTC letters from the NPA.

Also, some PTC letters were recovered during the apprehension of top rebel leaders in the area recently.

“Giving in to the demands is not a guarantee that the NPA will not harass the candidates anymore and be given access. There is evidence of politicians who give in to extortion demands of the CPP-NPA and continuously being harassed. This is because of factious leadership on their organization. They now lack leaders and have inconsistent chain of command,” Mabanta stressed.

Series of armed violence and atrocities that indiscriminately violate human rights and the international humanitarian law shows that the NPA leadership is not in control and has no grasp of their forces anymore.

“At this point, there is infighting among their top leadership and this will ripple down to their lower levels,” he added.

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