|
Sunday, January 25, 2004
400 bets 'paid rebels'
By Garry Cabotaje
CEBU -- The Central Command (Centcom) is monitoring some 400 local candidates in the Visayas who have allegedly paid permit-to-campaign fees demanded by rebels.
Lt. Col. Melquiades Felicino, 3rd Civil Relations Group commander of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), said these politicians gave in to the demand so they can gain access to rebel-infested areas once the campaign period starts next month.
Feliciano said the AFP is also verifying reports that some politicians have provided weapons and money to New People's Army (NPA) rebels in a bid to boost their chances in the May 10 polls.
"The only way we can stop the NPA's fees is for candidates to cooperate with the authorities. They just need to coordinate with the AFP and the PNP regarding their campaign schedule and leave the rest to us," he said.
For his part, Capt. Antonio Ruba Jr., Centcom acting spokesman, said the politicians who yielded to the NPA's fees were identified in a recent joint conference with Centcom's intelligence, operations and civil military operations offices.
Ruba said Centcom could not divulge yet the politicians' names because they still have to gather proof that they indeed paid the NPA.
For Comelec
"Once we gather the data and evidence, then the Centcom will just submit these to the Commission on Elections for its appropriate action (against these politicians)," he said.
Feliciano also called on the politicians not be cowed by the NPA's threat that those who refuse to pay the fees will be vulnerable to attacks.
He welcomed the move of Akbayan Party-list Rep. Etta Rosales, who pushed for the immediate approval of the House bill seeking to stop extortion activities of armed groups like the NPA.
"Let us not allow these terrorists to make cash cows out of the elections by reporting to us NPA rebels who have been harassing and extorting money from them," Feliciano said.
In the 2001 elections, Centcom said the NPA allegedly demanded fees of P500,000 to P1 million from senatorial candidates; P600,000 from gubernatorial aspirants; P300,000 from congressional bets; P50,000 from mayoralty candidates; and P20,000 each from those who ran for lower elective posts.
(January 25, 2004 issue)
Write letter to the editor.Click here.
Join the Sun.Star message board.Click here. |
|
|
|
 |
| click
to comment on this article or discuss it with other readers |
[return to top]
[home]
|
|
DENR to impose fines v. solid waste act violators