Lt. Col. Noel Clement, commander of the Army’s 56th Infantry Battalion, told The STAR that they have received feedback from fishpond operators in the coastal towns of Bulacan, particularly Hagonoy, that the New People’s Army (NPA) has stopped collecting "revolutionary taxes" for three months since the military intensified its anti-insurgency campaign in the province.
"We have drastically cut off their lifeline in the province. Before we came in, they were collecting at least P400,000 a month from fishpond operators in the coastal towns of Bulacan," he said.
The towns of Bulacan, Hago—noy, Paombong and Obando and Malolos City are known for the production of bangus (milkfish), tilapia and tiger prawns.
Clement said NPA rebels were also collecting some P40 million a year from mining operators in the eastern past of Bulacan.
"They used to collect about $1 for every metric ton of iron ore that was shipped out. And we are talking of thousands of metric tons, so we were able to arrive at that estimate," he said.
The mountainous eastern part of Bulacan is rich in mineral resources, particularly tea rose marble which has a high demand in the international market.
As a result, Clement said NPA rebels are now shifting their operations to the coastal towns of Pampanga, which are now the focus of the anti-insurgency efforts of the 3rd Infantry Battalion, which has reinforced the 56th and 69th IBs.
"They are having a hard time finding a source of income in these provinces because of our operations," he said.
Clement said that while the military is pushing hard on its counter-insurgency operations, local businessmen and local officials should support the barangay defense system put up in former NPA strongholds in the province.
The military earlier announced the deployment of an additional battalion in Bulacan in a bid to meet the two-year deadline set by President Arroyo to crush the Communist Party of the Philippines-NPA, which has been waging a Maoist insurgency for 37 years, considered to be the longest running rebellion in Asia.