NPA Urged: ‘Confirm or Deny’, ‘Are Letters to Some Candidates Authentic?’

From the Negros Daily Bulletin (Apr 30): NPA Urged: ‘Confirm or Deny’, ‘Are Letters to Some Candidates Authentic?’

Two of the 11 prominent Moises Padilla town personalities warned by an alleged New People’s Army (NPA) leader/secretary in post-marked registered mails, expressed surprise receiving letters from communist rebels.

Barangay Uno (Poblacion) Kagawad and Bayan Muna party-list campaigner Agustin Grande, who is also supporting the senatorial bid of Teddy Casiño said he doubts about the origin of the letters which were mailed to him and about 10 others in the town.

"I hope the NPA can confirm or deny the letters warning us not to campaign for candidates they do not like. I cannot understand why we were sent the letters, individually at that," Grande told NDB.

He said he is coordinating with some authorities regarding the matter, saying there is no reason for him to be warned as he is also exercising his freedom to choose whom to support.

He said he respects the stand of the NPA "if indeed the warning came from them but I also deserve to be respected for my freedom."

Grande is also suspecting that the letters may have simply come from some political camps opposing the candidacies of people he is supporting and campaigning for.

He is supporting and campaigning for M. Padilla town mayoralty candidate Ella Garcia, her vice mayoralty runningmate Edwin Presquito and their entire slate for councilor.

Bobby Dooma, president of a homeowners’ association in Barangay Guinpana-an also in the said town, likewise expressed surprise getting the same letter-warning from the rebels.

Dooma told NDB that although only 11 of them have so far revealed having received the supposed NPA letters signed by a certain J. B. Regalado claiming to be the secretary of NPA’s KLCN and KR-N, he believes more were also sent the same, based on the control numbers stated in the upper portion of the letters.

He admitted to NDB that since he received the letter and although he is in doubt as to its authenticity, he started taking extra precautions.

Grande, Dooma and others are seeking avenues and linkages to verify the letters and the real senders.

If the letters are to be denied, they said they will leave the matter to the rebels to seek ways to find out who were behind, while they will also find ways to know.

LETTERS. NDB obtained late Saturday copies of the letters individually addressed and mailed to 11 persons in the town.

The computerized letters, in the vernacular, were sent through the post offices in La Castellana town and Himamaylan City.

NDB has emailed NPA’s Ka JB Regalado for confirmation as to the authenticity of these letters as these were not bearing the logo of the CPP/NPA unlike the previous ones, among others.

As of press deadline last night, still no word from the NPA.

The 11 letters, with control numbers, were individually signed in red ink by a certain "J. B. Regalado, secretary of Kilusang Larangan Central Negros (KL-CN) and Kilusang Larangan Negros (KR-N)."

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