Military warns politicians: Don’t yield to NPA extortion

ILOILO CITY, Philippines  â€” The military the other day warned candidates from giving in to extortion demands of the New People’s Army, be it in the form of the so-called “permit to campaign” or “permit to win.”

Major Gen. Jose Mabanta Jr., commander of the Philippine Army’s 3rd Infantry Division, said the politicians “could be held liable for that.”

Without citing any specific law violated by yielding to the NPA demand, Mabanta said that giving money to the NPA “is tantamount to aiding the enemy of the state. They could be put in hot water.”

A few days ago, re-electionist Mayor Matt Palabrica of Bingawan town in Iloilo came out in the open and denounced the NPA’s permit to campaign racket.

Palabrica was the first politician in Western Visayas to publicly admit that he received a PTC demand from the NPA.

The mayor however vowed that he would never give in to the rebels, although he said it is now possible that he could be a target of liquidation by the NPA for his defiance to their demand.

During the recent Joint COMELEC-PNP-AFP Regional Coordinating Conference, Mabanta said Palabrica is one among the “handful” of politicians who apparently received PTC demand from the NPA.

Mabanta however refused to specify the number of politicians and what provinces where these extortion activities have been done by the rebels.

Chief Supt. Agrimero Cruz, Jr., Police Regional Office-6 director, corroborated Mabanta’s statement about the reports of extortion activities of the NPA through PTC letters.

However, if there will be clear and imminent danger, the police could provide security at the politician’s place of engagement, Cruz said. (FREEMAN)