Army intensifies drive vs CPP/NPA's 'Permit to Win' extort scheme
From "Permits to Campaign (PTC)," the Philippine Army has now intensified its drive against "Permits to Win (PTW)" pursued by the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) through its armed wing, communist terrorists New People's Army (NPA) and legal fronts in a number of militant groups here.
In Western Visayas, Army Captain Lowen Gil Marquez, Commanding Officer of the 3rd Civil Relations Group disclosed that the communists' 'PTW drive' cum extortion scheme has reportedly reached some P37.5 million.
Iloilo extortion victims in two congressionables, ten mayorables, ten vice mayorables, 16 contenders for the provincial board and 80 councilorables were said to have been forced to shell out at least P15 million altogether.
Victims' statistics, Army validation showed, disclosed a total of five congressionables and 25 mayorables throughout Region 6 while councilorables reached the 200 mark as of press time. More victims are feared in the last stretch of the campaign.
The 'PTWs', Captain Marquez further revealed, comes with the more bolder campaign of the CPP/NPA for the inclusion of communist-backed party list groups.
"In order to accumulate overwhelming extortion money, they (referring to CPP/NPA), have shifted from Permit to Campaign to Permit to Win effective May 1, 2007," Marquez in a news release sent to The News Today (TNT) said. "The package deal-scheme include votes for the party list of terrorist communist Jose Maria Sison openly supports such as Bayan Muna, Gabriela, Anak Pawis and Kabataan."
And there are 'PTW teams,' Captain Marquez continued saying one team is composed of "a district commander, district finance officer and legal front representatives of radical party list as member of extortion team of the terrorist communist."
Meantime, death threats continue to come in not only against the Army Captain but recently, including members of his family.
Marquez told TNT Army intelligence reports that his wife and son in Leon, Iloilo were placed under surveillance by local CPP/NPA hierarchy following his intense campaign against the rebel group and its legal front organizations.
Calling the communists as "evil, extortionist, human rights violator and fascist Godless," Captain Marquez condemned the group while saying "I know you all very well. I openly say too that even if you murder my family, this will not stop me and the Armed Forces of the Philippines in telling the truth for the good of our country about the injustices perpetrated by the CPP/NPA."