8th ID claims NPA plans to collect permit to win
TACLOBAN CITY — From permit to campaign fee to permit to win fee.
This is now the alleged strategy to be employed by the rebel group in this year’s elections among candidates, said Lt. Colonel Armand Rico, information officer of the 8th Infantry Division based in Catbalogan City.
Rico said that this new alleged scheme of the rebels should not be obeyed by the candidates considering that doing so would be illegal.
“This is the new strategy that is to be used by the rebels in this year’s elections, from being permit to campaign fee to permit to win fee,” the information officer of the 8th ID said.
While Rico revealed this new tactic to be used by the rebels, he could not say how much they would demand from the candidates.
“But what they are asking among our candidates involves huge amount of money, depending on the positions the candidates are seeking,” the military official said.
Under this new scheme of the rebels, candidates would not only be allowed to campaign and post and distribute their campaign materials in areas but are guaranteed to win on these areas where the rebels have control or influence if they would give in to their demand, Rico said.
During the previous elections, several candidates allegedly paid the members of the New People’s Army a permit to campaign fee in areas where the rebels are in control or have influence over the residents.
A Samar town official was allegedly held hostage by the NPA during the 2004 elections due to her non-payment of permit to campaign fee, which also included the giving of firearms.
Another Samar mayor also admitted that he had paid the permit-to-campaign fee which allowed him to campaign in several hinterland barangays of their town. The town mayor eventually won.
Rico said that they have yet to know if there are candidates in the region who have acceded to this demand of the rebels.
“But we have received some information that some of our politicians are being asked by the NPA,” Rico said.
He asked politicians running in this year’s elections who would be demanded by the rebels for a permit to win to inform them about this. This way, they could be provided with the needed security.
The government troops in the region, as led by Major General Arthur Tabaquero, would not tolerate such illegal practice of the rebels, Rico stressed.
Rico had earlier said that their anti-insurgency campaign in the region is bearing substantial gains citing their “victory” last year wherein they were able to reduce the guerilla fronts to two from the previous 14 fronts, among other accomplishments.
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