DILG: Fewer candidates engage with communists’ extortion activities

From GMA News Online (May 2, 2019): DILG: Fewer candidates engage with communists’ extortion activities

The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) on Thursday said the number of candidates who have been giving extortion money to communist rebels for this coming election have decreased.

"We are pleased to find out that based on intelligence reports this year, fewer local candidates have succumbed or gave in to their extortion activities," DILG spokesman Jonathan Malaya said at a press briefing.

"The DILG together with the PNP (Philippine National Police) and the AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) will continue to monitor all our candidates as we enter the last stretch of the campaign," Malaya added.

Asked about concrete figures on the decline, Malaya said the DILG intends to disclose data after the elections as it is still gathering pieces of evidence on the report.

"Unang-una kasi these are intelligence reports no so ayaw ko namang magbigay ng figures. I would just like to inform the public and continue the warning of the Department doon sa mga lalapitan ng CPP-NPA (Communist Party of the Philippines - New People's Army)," Malaya said.

"Siguro ang gagawin namin after the elections, once we validated these reports and we have enough evidence, we will give figures but for this, hindi pa, we're in the middle of election period pa eh," he added.

Malaya said there are still candidates who have submitted to the extortion demands of the communists to which security forces are closely monitoring.

He warned that the DILG would file charges against these candidates.

"They will be held liable even after the elections if we are able to gather evidence that they are aiding, financing, supporting or conniving with these communist terrorist groups and their allies who are out to trample our democracy and oust our duly constituted authorities," Malaya said.

Malaya also said the military and police are checking the sample ballots of these candidates, noting that if the sample ballots are being distributed in "rebel-infested" areas, it is already a red flag.

The DILG earlier said a total of P195.5 million was accumulated by the communist groups due to their extortion activities during the previous elections.

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/693093/dilg-fewer-candidates-engage-to-communists-extortion-activities/story/