CPP denounces AFP's claims of NPA election extortion

From the CPP Website (Apr 29): CPP denounces AFP's claims of NPA election extortion

The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) today denounced the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) for its “perverted propaganda” that the New People’s Army (NPA) is extorting money from election candidates asserting that “there is no such policy as requiring payments for the privilege to campaign within the areas of jurisdiction of the people’s democratic government.”

The other day, Major General Jose Mabanta, commander of the 3rd Infantry Division operating in the Negros and Panay islands, asserted that “half of all political contenders” in his area are “buying protection from the NPA.”

“The overriding aim of the policies of the people’s democratic government with regard the reactionary elections is to regulate the conduct of the election campaign within areas of its jurisdiction in order to ensure that the rights and welfare of the masses are not trampled upon,” pointed out the CPP. " All candidates in the reactionary elections who wish to conduct their campaigns within the areas of the people’s government must abide by these policies."

The CPP said “the enforcement by the NPA of the policies of the people’s democratic government is not for sale.”

“On their own volition, a great majority of candidates participating in the reactionary elections seek audiences with the revolutionary authorities in order to forge possible areas of cooperation and coordinate their activities.”

“The revolutionary forces encourage the election candidates to support the struggle of the masses for land reform, carry out programs that benefit the people, oppose rural militarization and raise the patriotic banner against foreign domination and intervention.”

“The coordination and cooperation between the election candidates and the organs of the people’s democratic government are carried out in the most part without any element of coercion and stem largely out of a recognition of the latter’s political and government authority.”

“The CPP has repeatedly made clear its policy that the NPA does not participate directly or indirectly in the reactionary elections. All candidates who cooperate and coordinate with the revolutionary authorities are accorded with equal opportunities to campaign within the areas of jurisdiction of the people’s government.”

“Their political activities within the areas under the authority of the people’s government are coordinated in order to prevent the overlapping of schedules, ensure peace and order and the rights and welfare of the people.”

“However, armed political scalawags who refuse to abide by the policies and coordinate with the revolutionary authorities are subjects of the armed enforcement of the NPA,” pointed out the CPP. “Typically they are those who connive with the AFP in its war of suppression against the people, are in cahoots with the illegal drug trade and other criminal syndicates, have plundered and ravaged the environment and have engaged in the oppressed and exploited the people.”

“In contrast to the policy of the NPA and despite prohibition under its own laws, the AFP actively participates in the reactionary elections, using its armed might to intimidate the people against supporting candidates whom they have branded as ‘enemies of the people’ and ‘NPA sympathizers’.”

http://www.philippinerevolution.net/statements/20130429_cpp-denounces-afp-s-claims-of-npa-election-extortion