Extortion eyed in NPA attacks

Recent attacks by New People’s Army (NPA) guerrillas were reportedly meant to step up the communist movement’s extortion activities against politicians and businessmen, a military official said yesterday.

Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla, spokesman for the Armed Forces of the Philippines, issued the statement in the wake of recent ambuscades in Bukidnon, Cagayan and Negros, which killed eight police officers and left several others wounded.

“Our initial assessment showed the rebels are targeting the security escorts of politicians, particularly police officers, to intensify their extortion activities,” Padilla said.

On Tuesday, six members of the Cagayan Valley-Regional Public Safety Battalion were killed and nine others were injured when a group of insurgents ambushed them in Baggao, Cagayan.

In Negros Oriental, two of four officers responding to a stabbing were killed when the rebels waylaid them in Candoni.

In Bukidnon, Army and police forces foiled attempts by the NPA to sabotage a government road project in Cabangsalan.

Padilla said the attacks could be election-related, noting the campaign period for local politicians is nearing.

He said the NPA rebels wanted to show that they are still very much around, and politicians and businessmen should pay them revolutionary taxes.

Padilla urged politicians to coordinate with the military and police when conducting campaign sorties in remote areas.

He urged them not to pay revolutionary tax.