Bicol rebels use color-coded campaign permits for politicians

MANILA, Philippines - Communist insurgents in Bicol are charging candidates by as much as P2 million in exchange for permits that would allow them to campaign in areas they consider as their strongholds, the military said.

In a statement, Lt. Col. Romeo Basco, commander of the Army’s 83rd Infantry Battalion, said the Nerissa San Juan Command of the New People’s Army has distributed color-coded permits to politicians in Catanduanes.

He said a blue permit is being sold at P2 million each to those running for Congress.

“Yellow, green, and red permit-to-campaign cards are also meant for other elective positions with an equivalent extortion demand ranging from P10,000 to P500,000, depending on the position being sought,” Basco said.

He said they also got information that the insurgents have demanded P2.2 million from a congressional candidate, whom he did not name.

The Army said it first documented the rebels’ extortion activities on Bicol politicians when the 49th Infantry Battalion based in Sorsogon encountered the rebels last January.

The encounter led to the recovery of seven high-powered firearms and voluminous documents containing the demands on local candidates.

Maj. Harold Cabunoc, spokesman of the 9th Infantry Division, said they also got more than 500 permits to campaign in a firefight with insurgents in Caramoan, Catanduanes last Friday.  

Maj. Gen. Ruperto Pabustan, commander of the 9th Infantry Division, said he has ordered his troops in Bicol to intensify their security operations to curb efforts by the insurgents to extort money from candidates.

The insurgents, according to the Armed Forces, raised more than P136 million from their extortion activities last year, more than double the P61 million they generated in 2008. – With Cet Dematera and Celso Amo