Tens of millions of pesos are being raked in by the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) during the election season through their “permit to campaign” and “permit to win” taxation scheme.
According to intelligence reports obtained by the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA), the CPP-NPA-NDF are extorting millions of pesos from politicians who wish to campaign and win in areas they have influence or control.
According to NICA Deputy Director-General Abelardo Villacorta during Monday’s ‘virtual’ press conference of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) on Monday, “for them to be able to campaign” during elections, the amount of “P2 to P4 million” must be paid by candidates vying “for gubernatorial and congressional positions; P1 to P2 million for vice gubernatorial positions,” while city mayors must shell out P500K to P 1 million and councilors from P500K to P800K.
Sixty (60) percent of the collections, the NICA official said, goes to the CPP national organization while the remaining 40 percent will be used locally by the NPA to fund their terrorist activities.
Villacorta also revealed that the CPP-NPA-NDF will sometimes use “barangay officials as their negotiators” for extortions.
The Communist Terrorist Groups (CTG), Villacorta added, are now planning to get hold of presidential candidates whom they should support for some sort of “alliance building.”
Former CPP-NPA Cadre and Former Spokesperson of the NDF – Far South Mindanao Region (NDF-FSMR) Noel “Ka Efren” Legaspi confirmed the NICA report saying, the CTGs are imposing rates called “rata”— an amount intended to be paid by each candidate based on the positions they are running for and their capacity to pay.
Legaspi said that during his time, “For congressman and governor the ‘rata’ ranges from P1.5 million to P3 million. Ang vice governor medyo mababa. Depende naman sa status ng siyudad ang sa mga mayors, P1 toP2 million. Ang councilors P20,000 to P100,000.” He added that some concessions or negotiations can also be arranged for those who are asking for a lower price.
“Pwedeng manegotiate. Hihingi na lang ang CTG ng iba’t ibang logistics, like firearms, bota (to serve as their combat shoes) uniforms, generators, projectors at electronic gadgets,” Legaspi said.
“Permit to a campaign,” Legaspi explained, allows candidates to enter the CTG infested areas to promote and present themselves to the voters, while the “permit to win” refers to the CPP-NPA-NDF’s order to their members whom to vote as winner of the elections.
While Interior and Local Government Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya warned politicians or candidates who would give-in to the CPP-NPA-NDF’s demand or build an alliance with them, as this will not only lead to their disqualification, but they run the risk of facing administrative and criminal charges for violating the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 and Section 10 of the Terrorism Financing Prevention and Suppression Act of 2012 (Republic Act No. 10168).
