Published: April 29, 2013
Capiz - Major Gen. Jose Mabanta, Jr, commanding general of the 3rd Infantry division, Philippine Army, is reiterating his call to the political candidates not to give in to the demands of the CPP-NPA through their Permit to Campaign (PTC) scheme and other extortion activities.
Major Gen Mabanta in a press release, said that “We are warning them not to allow the CPP-NPA influence the outcome of this coming election through threats. We have data to support that a handful political contenders are extending financial assistance and giving in to the demands of the CPP-NPA extortionists. We will not allow this and we remind that their decision to give in will have legal repercussion.”
Early this year, reports from the Army field units state that some candidates received Permit to Campaign letters from the CPP-NPA, with some PTC letters recovered during the apprehension of CPP-NPA top leaders in the region recently.
Mabanta stressed that “Giving in to the demands is not a guarantee that the CPP-NPA will not harass the candidates anymore and be given access. There is evidence of politicians who give in to extortion demands of the CPP-NPA and are still continuously harassed. This is because of factious leadership on their (CPP-NPA-NDF) organization. They now lack leaders and have inconsistent chain of command.”
Series of armed violence and atrocities that indiscriminately violate human rights and the International Humanitarian Law shows that CPP-NPA leadership is not in control and has no grasp of their forces.
Mabanta further stressed that “At this point, there is infighting among their (CNN) top leadership and this will ripple down to their lower levels.”
Due to lack of support and confidence in the CNN higher level leadership, their local leaders are starting to come out in the open in order to extort.
From the start of this year to date, seven (7) CPP-NPA leaders in Western Visayas were apprehended by the joint forces of the AFP and the PNP through the Regional Joint Peace and Security Coordination Center (RJPSCC) and the AFP-PNP COMELEC checkpoint. All of them have warrants of arrest with cases ranging from arson to murder.
“The CPP-NPA has already lost the support of their mass base so they resort to extort from the people especially the candidates during elections. Candidates who are giving in to their demands are just helping the rebels to regroup and further conduct terroristic activities that victimize innocent people. We will file criminal charges against candidates who insist. and let them face the consequence, Mabanta added.
