EDITORIAL - Revolutionary taxation

Here is a common dilemma for victims of crime and terrorism in this country: Do you pay ransom to kidnappers or "revolutionary taxes" to extortionists masquerading as rebels? Those who aren’t victims or potential targets will say no, since payment will merely serve as an incentive for more kidnappings and extortion. Ransom payments have turned kidnapping into a major industry in Mindanao, Metro Manila and other developed areas. And like government revenue collectors, the "taxmen" of communist and Muslim rebels keep coming back for more once you join their list of taxpayers.

If you’re the target of such terrorist or criminal activities, however, your first instinct is survival. Families pay ransom to save the life of a loved one. Companies pay revolutionary taxes so their operations will be left in peace. Such payments are made because the victims feel they cannot turn to the government for protection. The military and police have complained that such an attitude makes the job of protecting lives and property doubly difficult. But which should come first: state protection or public cooperation?

In Davao City, a report said the military is considering the filing of treason charges against executives of four major companies that have been paying P100,000 a month in revolutionary taxes to the communist movement since 1996. The plan was announced after guerrillas of the New People’s Army ambushed a platoon of the Army’s 27th Special Forces Company last Saturday, leaving 21 soldiers dead. The companies have reportedly refused to cooperate with the Armed Forces, preferring to hire private security personnel because soldiers act as magnets for rebel attacks. The filing of a complaint for treason will be a test case, the military said, to discourage such payments which sustain the rebel movement.

With 21 lives lost, the military’s frustration with the companies is understandable. Charging company officials with treason, however, will merely make them victims twice over. These officials have to worry not just about their own security but also the safety of their relatives and employees. It will be easy to accuse them of treason, and if the military gets a high-caliber lawyer the charges might even stick. But the better way to discourage payments to extortionists posing as rebels is by getting these crooks and keeping the public safe.