Caraga mine firms allegedly back NPAs’ revolutionary taxes

TANDAG CITY – Some mining and logging firms operating in Caraga Region either in exploration or full-blown quarrying and trading activities contributed some P39  million funds to the communist rebels’ movement in the firms of revolutionary taxes since the mining boom begun in 2005. This is aside from explosives they get from mining companies, military intelligence groups operating in the region said.

Col. Jose Vizcarra, brigade commander of the 401st Infantry Brigade, Philippine Army stationed here in Dayo-an, Tandag City confirmed the intelligence report saying he himself allegedly discovered New People’s Army collectors and their agents using “coding” of names of mining and logging companies that have payment obligations, or paid the communist rebels.

“We discovered the use of coded names of mining firms paying revolutionary taxes after our operatives seized documents from the left during encounters as we captured NPA rebels or surrenderees who personally turned over the documents to us,” Vizcarra told The STAR in an exclusive interview inside his camp here.

Vizcarra showed some of the alleged turned-over NPA diaries or notes which bore coded names such as “Mari­cel”, “Tamsi”, “Siga”, “Pipay” and a long list that keeps growing which referred to mining firms that pay revolutionary taxes.

Vizcarra said NPA collectors used said coded names not only to update collections but to avoid detection.

Aside from revolutionary taxes, Vizcarra said some mining operators in Agusan del Sur, Surigao del Norte and Surigao del Sur are giving explosives to the rebels for the insurgents’ landmines.     – Ben Serrano