Reds had earned P1.15B from extortion – military

The communist rebels’ extortion activities has earned them more than a billion pesos in 11 years, military records show.

Data from the Armed Forces’ Civil Relations Service (CRS) indicated that the New People’s Army (NPA) collected P1.15 billion in extortion from 1996 to 2007 – a figure expected to rise even more during the election season.

“The money is extorted from construction, mining, telecommunication, transportation companies, logging concessionaires, politicians, and private individuals, including from the poor farmers, fisher folks and sari-sari store owners,” said Maj. Eugenio Julio Osias, chief of the CRS’ Media Affairs Group.

CRS chief Brig. Gen. Francisco Cruz said the NPA rebels are again expected to resort to extortion during the election season “to cover the gaping holes of its financial problems.”

“Through the years we have observed that election is the money-making season of the NPAs where they exact either cash or firearms from candidates,” Cruz said.

Smartmatic, the company that would automate the May elections, has earlier brought to the government’s attention the alleged harassment it has been experiencing from the insurgents in the provinces.

“The harassment on Smartmatic is viewed not only as part of NPA’s money making scheme but also their total disregard for the people’s chance of an advanced voting system,” Cruz said.

Military records also show that the NPA has destroyed about P1.2 billion worth of private and public properties from 2000-2009.

Cruz, however, said that despite the NPA’s collection, the group’s strength continues to decline because bulk of the extorted amount goes to the pockets of communist leaders.

“Even with this sum, NPA strength continues to decrease. This is because this money does not stay in the mountains but goes to the pockets of their corrupt leaders. Corruption inside the NPA organization has demoralized the NPA which caused many of them to leave the movement and join the mainstream society,” he said. – KBK, GMANews.TV