Bicol rebs clash over PTC funds

PILI, Camarines Sur — An undetermined number of New People’s Army (NPA) rebels were killed and wounded when two groups of guerrillas clashed last week over a disagreement in the sharing of permit-to-campaign (PTC) funds, a military official said.

Brig. Gen. John Bolhayon, commander of the Army’s 9th Infantry Division, said a group of the Sandatahang Yunit Pampro—paganda (SYP) fought it out for more than an hour with their comrades belonging to the Komiteng Larangan Gerilya 75 of the NPA’s Romulo Jallores Command in Barangay Maangas, Presentation, Camarines Sur.

Quoting an NPA source, Bolhayon said a disagreement ensued between the two rebel groups after the collected PTC fees did not tally with the amount actually remitted to the Romulo Jallores Command.

The source quoted one of the wounded rebels as saying that some of the funds were used to buy food supplies.

"They fought it out among themselves, resulting in a number of casualties, who where buried in the area even without a proper burial," Bolhayon said.

Many of the wounded rebels sought treatment in a government hospital, he said.

Even NPA rebels operating in the mountains of Ligao and Guinobatan towns are also reportedly at odds over how to divide equally the PTC fees collected from local candidates.

"At this time, it’s only in Bicol that NPA rebels are killing each other over PTC funds," Bolhayon said.

He said communist rebels are also taking advantage of the election period to ask for firearms and ammunition, communications equipment like radio and cellular phones as well as wristwatches, shoes and other items.

During the 2001 elections, the NPA reportedly demanded P200,000 to 250,000 from candidates running for governor; P100,000 to P150,000 from provincial board bets; P150,000 to P200,000 from congressional bets and city mayors; P100,000 to P150,000 from mayoral candidates; P75,000 to P100,000 from city councilors; and P50,000 to P75,000 from town councilors.