Measures in place to secure May polls – AFP

MANILA, Philippines - Military and police countermeasures are now in place to ensure the security of the elections on May 13, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said yesterday.

AFP Deputy of Chief of Staff for Operations (J3) Brig. Gen. Aurelio Baladad said the countermeasures are focused on preventing the communist New People’s Army (NPA) and other armed groups from influencing the outcome of the elections.

“As far as the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) is concerned, we have been drawn up our plans to ensure that the true voice of the people will be heard,” Baladad said.

Baladad gave the assurance amid military reports that the NPA had become active in collecting money from candidates for “permits to campaign” in their areas.

There were also reports that several candidates have been paying the NPA and enlisting their help to ensure that they get the needed votes in far-flung communities.

Baladad said among the countermeasures being implemented by the military is to conduct regular patrols and checkpoints to curtail movements of the insurgents and other armed groups under the employ of political warlords.

Troops are also deployed in far-flung communities to intensify the information campaign to convince candidates of ample military and police protection for them against the NPA.

“We continuously remind candidates not to give in to NPA demands. We can protect them,” Northern Samar-based Army 803rd Brigade commander Col. Rolando Malianao said.

Capt. Gene Orense, spokesman of the Samar-based 8th Infantry Division, said the NPA is taking an active role in the upcoming elections by supporting national and local candidates in a move to have access to the pork barrel funds of winning candidates.

“The mid-term national elections will also be their means of gaining resources through the (permit to campaign) fees to support their terroristic activities against the government and also to finance the campaign of the legal left organizations,” Orense said.

Orense added the rebels are also fielding their own candidates in the upcoming elections to pursue their political struggle by infiltrating the government bureaucracy, particularly the legislative branch, for them to have access to government resources to bankroll their underground movement.

“The NPA in Eastern Visayas will capitalize on the election period in visiting the communities to pursue their so-called recovery and expansion efforts in the communities as revealed by their captured document,” Orense added.