Rebels’ PTC scheme to generate P144M in WV
Elections have become a stable income-generating event, at least for members of the New People’s Army (NPA).
This, according to a recent report submitted by analysts to the Philippine Army’s 3rd Infantry (Spearhead) Division.
The information revealed that the CPP-NPA’s Permit-to-Campaign/Permit-to-Win (PTC/PTW) extortion scheme in Western Visayas is projected to value approximately at P144 million given that all candidates running for local office allowed themselves to be coerced and threatened by the NPA into paying the extortion demands.
The projection was based on the NPA’s demand to candidates running from governor down to town and city councilors.
The 3ID records showed that there are 14 candidates running for governor in the region.
“If they were made to pay P2 million each, the NPAs could generate P28 million,” said 3ID public information officer 1Lt. Mark Andrew Posadas.
Those running for vice governor and congressmen were also asked P2 million each.
With 25 candidates running for vice governor and 28 for congressmen, the NPAs might get richer by an additional P106 million if all of them will indeed pay the amount.
Further, NPAs allegedly demand P20,000 for those gunning the provincial seat (46 in Western Visayas) and mayoralty position (82).
For the two positions, the rebels’ purse would have an additional P2.56 million.
Some P1.245 million, meanwhile, will be generated from 83 vice mayoralty candidates in the region and if they were asked P15,000 each.
On the other hand, NPAs would be richer by P6.14 million from 614 councilorables in the region.
Posadas said that the figures is the maximum collectible amount if all of our candidates paid the minimum PTC for the position they are running for in this year’s elections.
“This is a very grim scenario indeed. Even if only half of our 892 candidates actually paid the NPA’s PTC, that would still mean that the NPA would still receive about seventeen million pesos in extortion money from our politicians,” said 3ID commanding general Maj. Gen. Vicente Porto in response to the report. “That amount of money could be used to buy votes or could be used for other nefarious purposes,” he added.
Further, payments have to be in 100 or 1,000 peso bills; while small bills, cheques, and real properties are not accepted.
Posadas said that the target may substitute monetary payment with a computer or high-powered firearm, cellphones, medicines and equipment, among others.
