NPA atrocities down as rebels shift to poll activities

MANILA, Philippines - Atrocities staged by communist rebels declined in the first quarter as they shifted their focus to election-related operations, according to the military.

Armed Forces spokesman Col. Arnulfo Burgos Jr. said the New People’s Army (NPA) initiated 61 violent incidents from January to March, lower than the 91 incidents recorded in the fourth quarter of 2012.

“The decrease was due to the NPA’s shift to electoral conflicts and permit-to-campaign/permit-to-win extortion activities,” Burgos said in a statement.

Burgos said 49 percent of the violent incidents involved harassment of military and militia detachments. 

“The rest were criminal and terrorist activities,” he said.

The military earlier said the insurgents were demanding as much as P5 million from local candidates.

Citing documents gathered by field troops, it said the fees demanded range from P50,000 to P5 million depending on the post being eyed by a candidate. 

The rebels’ extortion campaign persists, even as the military insists that it has achieved gains against insurgency.

Reports about the rebels’ extortion activities have been confirmed by Team PNoy campaign manager Sen. Franklin Drilon, who said insurgents are collecting fees from local bets.

Mayors are reportedly being asked to shell out P800,000 to P1 million to be able to campaign without any harassment in supposed rebel-influenced areas.

“Although the rebels’ armed violence decreased in this year’s first quarter, the Armed Forces is not letting its guard down as it continues its intensified intelligence and monitoring efforts, and intelligence exchange with other law enforcement agencies,” Burgos said.

The military reiterated its call for ordinary citizens to report to authorities the extortion activities of the NPA.

“The more the candidates and the voters are made aware of this extortion scheme, the more they can guard themselves against it,” Burgos said.

He also discouraged candidates from giving in to the rebels’ extortion demands, saying this would only worsen the insurgency problem.

The military has admitted that the rebels extorted more than P25 million from individuals and businesses last year.

Military data show that there are about 4,000 communist insurgents in the country.