AFP: Extortion by communist rebels raised P70 million in 2009

MANILA, Philippines - Communist rebels had extorted around P70 million from various sectors last year. With elections nearing, insurgents may squeeze P150 million from candidates this year, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said yesterday.  

AFP spokesperson Lt. Col. Romeo Brawner Jr. said the New People’s Army (NPA) collected around P37 million as of May 2009. This may have almost doubled by the end of the year.

“That (P37 million) is our figure from January to May of 2009. This is just a conservative estimate. If you want to get the figure for the entire year, you can multiply it, roughly by two. So more or less, it’s P70 (million) plus for 2009,” Brawner said.

“These are just the ones reported to us. But since this year is an election year, it can reach more than P150 million,” he added.

The AFP previously said it is monitoring NPA-infested provinces like Quezon and Masbate where the rebels are believed to collect money from candidates in exchange for “campaign permits.”

AFP data showed that the NPA extorted the most from logging concessionaires, around P8.166 million as of May. Agribusiness and fishpond owners gave P6.345 million while mining companies shelled out P5.437 million. Commercial establishments, on the other hand, contributed P4.844 million.

The NPA also extorted money from the transportation sector (P3.277 million), construction companies (P2.824 million), private individuals (P2.189 million), politicians (P1.792 million), telecommunications firms (P1.59 million), contribution from allies of insurgents (P560,000), the internal revenue allotment of local governments (P34, 600), and quarry operators (P27,000).

Statistics on the extortion activities of the NPA for the previous years were not available.

Brawner said the military had successfully weakened the forces of the communist insurgents in various provinces. 

“We have been very effective because of our campaigns. We have conducted dialogues with the candidates as well as the residents of far-flung areas. We caught some insurgents in the act of extorting in places like Samar, Bicol, and Davao,” he said.