Malacanang appealed to local candidates to help the government gather information to halt the illegal operations of the New People’s Army (NPA), particularly its extortion activities.
On Monday, President Benigno S. Aquino III instructed the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to dismantle the road blocks being set up by the NPA particularly in areas they control.
In a press briefing in Malacanang on Tuesday, Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte said that while the government’s intention is to stop those illegal activities, the AFP has limitations and doesn’t have the resources to guard all the hot spots in the country.
“Given the limitations of the forces that we have hindi natin pwedeng bantayan lahat ng lugar sa lahat ng oras, kaya tayo po’y humihingi rin ng kooperasyon ng mga kandidatong lokal, para bigyan naman tayo ng impormasyon na makakatulong doon sa ating mga operations,” Valte said.
Despite the limitations, Valte noted that the country’s security forces will continue to conduct operations to ensure peace and order in those areas.
The Palace official also appealed to candidates campaigning for the May 13 elections to reject the demand of the NPA for them to pay “permit-to-campaign” fees.
“We have consistently asked local candidates not to succumb to these demands and to report any of these—for lack of a better word—'requests for payments' to the DILG so the proper response can be made in those particular areas,” she said.
Reports said the NPA has been demanding from candidates substantial fees for permission to campaign in the areas where the rebel group operates.
The government ordered the deputation of law enforcement agencies as well as the AFP to ensure free, orderly, honest, peaceful and credible conduct of the May 13 automated national and local elections.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=&sid=&nid=&rid=519127
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