An official of the Philippine Army has confirmed that some local candidates in
Capt. Gene R. Orense, spokesperson of the 8th Infanty Battalion based in
“Down payments ranging from P50,000 to P100,000 have been paid by some local candidates,” Capt. Orense said.
“We are making an appeal to all local candidates for the May 2013 elections to refuse any offer of PTC and PTW fees by the NPAs. Instead let us work together through the spirit of ‘bayanihan’ in ensuring a secured and fair election,”
Communist rebels reportedly are cashing in on the 2013 elections by imposing PTC and PTW fees of up to P5 million on political candidates.
Based on NPA documents recovered by military troops, the NPA in
A candidate for congressman is asked P500,000; while governor and vice-governor are supposed to pay P5 million and P500,000, respectively.
A board member and a mayoralty aspirant is asked P100,000; vice-mayor, P75,000; and councilor, P50,000.
“In the said document, it disclosed that during the previous local elections, the NPA was able to collect PTC and PTW fees coming from the local candidates in the region,”
In a recent operation, the military recovered documents which revealed that the extortion scheme by the NPA shall be implemented in three levels.
“The leadership of local communist movement and their armed group focuses in the conduct of discreet local communist movement and their armed group focuses in the conduct of discreet discussions with politicians on the political line, supporting the legal left organizations and direct benefits to their sympathizers,”
The second and third levels include the discussing cooperation in the platform ticket, campaign, vote watch, finances and resources for the campaign; and the sympathizers, engaging the negotiations with the politicians regarding the direct benefits they will receive once they pay the so-called permit to campaign and win fees.
Meanwhile, the National Democratic Front (NDF) in
Rebel priest Santiago Salas, spokesperson of the NDF, said the malicious imputation against the revolutionary organization is part of the Army’s counter-revolutionary propaganda.
“The 8th ID seeks to divert attention away from the fact that the reactionary elections are undemocratic and are used along with state violence to keep the oppressive and exploitative system,” Salas said in a press statement.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=515898
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