TACLOBAN CITY: The military in Eastern Visayas has called on election candidates not to give in to the demands of the New People’s Army (NPA) to give money to the insurgents in exchange for “permits to campaign” or “permits to win.”
The advice from the Armed Forces of Philippines (AFP) comes ahead of the May 12 midterm elections.
According to Lt. Col. Joemar Buban, assistant division chief of staff for community and military affairs, the NPA has lost both its mass support and influence over local districts.
He believes this situation makes any such demands ineffective.
“Candidates should not be deceived if they receive demand letters from the NPA for permits to campaign or win,” Buban said in an interview on March 18.
“This communist terrorist group no longer controls any local districts nor do they have the mass base to justify such demands,” he maintained.
Buban further questioned the rebels’ ability to influence the election outcomes.
“How can they make a candidate win when they no longer have any local district or mass base under their control?” he asked.
In previous elections, the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines reportedly demanded that candidates secure permits to campaign in areas under its control, particularly in remote areas.
On the other hand, the so-called “permit to win” was offered in exchange for ‘financial contributions’ from candidates.
Insurgents would promise votes for a candidate in places under their control.
But Buban said the current situation has significantly changed.
“We are closely monitoring the security (landscape) for any election-related violence, including potential threats from NPA rebels,” he said.
“We are confident that we are on the final stretch of ending the insurgency in Eastern Visayas, with its complete eradication within reach this year,” he pointed out.
According to military data, the number of active NPA rebels in Eastern Visayas has dwindled to just over 100.
This marks a significant drop from the more than 400 members in 2019 when the government launched the End Local Communist Armed Conflict (ELCAC) initiative.
ELCAC was initiated by former President Rodrigo Duterte.
The programme was continued under the term of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
It has been credited for reducing insurgency-related threats.
Since its implementation in 2019, there were 461 armed encounters that led to the deaths of 791 rebels, including 115 key leaders, in the different parts of Eastern Visayas.
At least 1,124 assorted firearms, 704 anti-personnel land mines and 703 rebel camps were also seized or dismantled. - Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN
