Poll bets may campaign in NPA areas

DAVAO CITY – Political parties and candidates may campaign in areas controlled by the New People’s Army (NPA) provided they do not tag along police or military escorts and they ditch vote-buying activities.

Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) founding chairman Jose Maria “Joma” Sison said this on Monday, stressing that the CPP,

NPA, National Democratic Front of the Philippines, and its local organizations acknowledge the rights of politicians to conduct campaign activities in areas known to be infested with the communist rebels.

“In the guerrilla fronts and other areas administered by the people’s democratic government of workers and peasants, political parties and candidates of all sorts have the right to campaign even in the elections conducted by the reactionary government of big compradors, landlords, and corrupt bureaucrats,” he said.

He said the NPA rebels are not taking advantage of the election season to extort money from the politicians amid the military’s stern warning to politicians not to shell out campaign fees or taxes.

“The Duterte regime and its military minions are lying when they say that the NPA uses the election campaign period to extort from political parties and candidates by demanding payments for the permit to campaign,” he said.

Sison admitted that the NPA receives voluntary contributions or donations from political parties and candidates for the socioeconomic and health programs of their local units but rejects any offers from “malevolent forces that oppress and exploit the people.”