Globe won’t pay taxes to rebels

BAGUIO – Globe Telecommunications will not pay revolutionary taxes to the New People’s Army (NPA) despite the recent attack of the communist group on its facility in Cagayan province.

"We normally do not give revolutionary taxes," said Globe Public Relations head Jones Campos in a telephone interview.

Campos said Globe still has no conclusive evidence yet as to the identity of the group behind Sunday’s attack that destroyed the company’s radio room, although the military believed it was the handiwork of a certain Ka Bobby Javier of the Eastern Cagayan based-Henry Abraham Revolutionary Front Committee of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New Peoples Army (CPP-NPA).

Early dawn on Sunday, seven fully-armed men believed to be NPA rebels torched Globe’s cellular transmitter in the remote barangay of Narsiting in Gattaran town, Cagayan. Brig. Gen. Rodolfo Alvarado, commanding general of the Army’s 5th Infantry Division based in Gamu, Isabela, deduced that the incident was believed to be the NPA’s way of forcing Globe to pay revolutionary taxes to the group. Campos, however, said Globe has not received any letter from the NPA demanding for the payment of taxes.

Communist rebels usually give demand letters before taking drastic actions when their demands are denied.

Meanwhile, Globe executives in Manila have already sent engineers to Cagayan to repair the damaged radio room. "The repairs will last at least one to two days," he said, adding that there may be service interruptions in the towns of Aparri, Gattaran, Sta. Ana, Gonzaga and Alcala, all of Eastern Cagayan being serviced by the damaged cellular site.

He added that Globe has another transmitter in Tuguegarao, the capital province of Cagayan, which could serve the affected areas. The cost of the damage on the facility is still being estimated.