Suspected rebels hold 2 Mindanao mayoralty bets over ‘campaign fees’

Suspected communist rebels reportedly held two mayoralty bets in Mindanao last weekend for their failure to pay permit-to-campaign fees in areas where the insurgents have influence over the local populace. On Monday, Captain Emmanuel Garcia of the Army’s 10th Infantry Division, said Boy Quinones was on his way to the village of Marayag in Lupon town in Davao Oriental about 3 p.m. Sunday when 30 New People's Army (NPA) rebels seized him. Three hours later, the captors released Quinones. Garcia said it was unknown whether he paid a permit-to-campaign fee, which the rebels demand from candidates campaigning in NPA turfs. Garcia added that Quinones could have been held because of "his failure to pay extortion money disguised as permit-to-campaign fee." Also on Monday, Lt. Colonel Michelle Anayron of the 4th Infantry Division said suspected rebels held Tagbina, Surigao del Sur mayoralty candidate Jessie Callano last Saturday. He was released after reportedly paying a P50,000 permit-to-campaign fee. In Catanduanes, the military on Monday engaged NPA rebels who were supposedly demanding permit-to-campaign fees from local candidates. Maj. Harold Cabunoc of the Army’s 9th Infantry Division said the a team from the 83rd Infantry Battalion was sent to the village of San Miguel in Panganiban town after receiving information that the insurgents were collecting fees in the area. The insurgents fired at the soldiers, but they retreated after 15 minutes. The military recovered several high-powered firearms and "a backpack containing subversive documents with high intelligence value." There were no casualties reported. The government had criticized the New People’s Army for its alleged extortion activities under the guise of its permit-to-campaign and even permit-to-win policies. The Armed Forces earlier claimed communist rebels earned about P1.15 billion from 1996 to 2007 in extortion money. The figure is expected to increase after the upcoming May 10 elections. But the NPA had stood by its policy to demand the fee, which it said eliminates violent election-related incidents in NPA turfs. — with Sophia Dedace/RSJ/KBK, GMANews.TV