Army to business companies: Refuse rebels' demand

ILOILO CITY, Philippines — The Philippine Army's 3rd Infantry Division has appealed to the business community to stand their ground against extortion demands perpetrated by members of the New People’s Army.

This appeal came amid reports that the NPA’s Komiteng Rehiyon Panay (KR-P) has been sending extortion letters, in the guise of asking for the so-called revolutionary, among businessmen, particularly those involved in construction and power and telecommunication facilities.

Captain Eduardo Precioso Jr., chief of the 3rd ID Division Public Affairs Office, confirmed to have monitored that a number of business firms already received the letters. “Unfortunately, some of them are not cooperative (with us),” he lamented. The NPA, while asking for money, also warned the businesses against reporting the matter to the police and the military.

??“Had we been informed (by the firms), we could have made ways to stop this illegal activity from going on. The asking for extortion demand would not stop if they (firms) would give (to the rebels). It would just open the floodgates for more monetary demands,” Precioso said, citing the need for cooperation among business firms.

Moreover, every money given to the NPA’s coffers would mean helping the bandits go after government troops and curtailing development projects, especially in the countryside.

The 3rd ID renewed its call against giving in to extortion demands, as division commander Major General Jon Aying visited the 135-megawatt Palm Concepcion Power Corporation (PCPC) at Barangay Nipa in Concepcion, Iloilo on July 20. PCPC is one of the most advanced and fuel-efficient coal-fired power plants in the Philippines.

Precioso said NPA bandits are targeting these power plants in their extortion operations, threatening the company to sabotage its installations if they will not give in to their demand for money. He added that the demand would entail millions of pesos to spare their company from sabotage.

“The extortion money that will be collected will be used to procure armaments, bomb components and eventually expand their terroristic activities in the region thereby increasing their extortion activities in the area,” he added.

Meanwhile, Precioso also confirmed the veracity of the extortion letter from the NPA’s Napoleon Tumagtang Command–Southern Front Panay, signed by a certain Ariston Remus. Several businessmen in Antique province already received the letter. (FREEMAN)