EDITORIAL - Extortionists

Government representatives and communist rebels restarted peace negotiations in Oslo, Norway over the weekend amid misgivings raised by President Duterte himself and his security officials.

Gen. Eduardo Año, Armed Forces of the Philippines chief, is particularly concerned about extortion activities conducted by the New People’s Army. The AFP has recorded 60 arson cases related to NPA extortion since President Duterte scrapped the talks in February. Private businesses and civilians are the principal targets. The NPA has also bombed and torched telecommunications towers, disrupting services and hindering the expansion of phone and internet coverage.

Since offering a hand of peace to the communists, including drafting its sympathizers to his Cabinet, President Duterte has been calling on the rebels to stop the attacks and extortion as well as the kidnapping of military and police personnel. He called off the talks after the NPA killed and kidnapped government forces while the rebels were supposed to be observing a unilateral truce. Either the rebels blatantly disregarded their own ceasefire, or the attacks were meant to show that the government is negotiating with the wrong individuals, who have no control over the forces on the ground. So the resumption of the talks is saddled with distrust.

The government must not expect the NPA to heed calls for an end to its extortion. Since the NPA and the Communist Party of the Philippines were classified as foreign terrorist organizations, their funding has dried up, and they have become heavily reliant on extortion, passed off as the collection of “revolutionary taxes.” They have undermined elections by collecting protection money, described as “permit to campaign fees” from candidates. NPA banditry has become one of the biggest hindrances to investments, job creation and economic growth especially in the countryside.

If the AFP wants the public to report such extortion, it should be prepared to protect those who have the courage to do so at the risk of violent NPA retaliation. Having a mechanism for reporting complaints to the rebel negotiators is not enough. The exiled leaders have shown little control over NPA fighters in the Philippines.

The government must facilitate the reporting of complaints to security units and set up mechanisms for quick military or police response in case of an attack. Regardless of the progress of the talks, the NPA attacks on civilians must be prevented and perpetrators must be caught and prosecuted.