Thursday, April 19, 2007 Rebels also extorting from banana firms: military By Carlo P. Mallo
THE communist rebels in the Davao region do not only extort money from mining firms but also from banana plantation companies.
According to Lt. Col. Benito de Leon, chief-of-staff of the 10th Infantry Division, banana plantation companies have no recourse but to give in to the demands of the insurgency movement.
"Naiipit ang mga kumpanya," de Leon said in an interview.
However, he assured the business sector and the public that they are continually improving their intelligence gathering in order to thwart any incident that would turn off the investors in the region.
It was also divulged by de Leon that companies who refuse to pay up suffer the brunt of the insurgents. Insurgents are alleged to burn and wreak havoc on the facilities and other vital equipment of the companies who refuse to pay. De Leon did not elaborate on which companies have closed shop due to the atrocities of the insurgents.
Earlier this week, Mines and Geoscinces Bureau 11 chief, Ed Arreza said that mining firms in the region pay up extortion money to the rebels. He also added that such actions of the insurgents are greatly affecting the growth of the mining industry in the region.
Arreza also revealed that even mining firms in the exploratory stage are already being extorted from by the rebel group.
