CPP-NPA engaged in ‘violent extortion rampage’ — military

The military on Tuesday accused communist rebels of being in a “violent extortion rampage" as it noted the increasing number of mulcting activities in the countryside in the past days. Brig. Gen. Eduardo del Rosario, commander of the Armed Forces’ Civil Relations Service, said Philip Morris/Fortune Tobacco was among the victims of the “numerous extortion activities blatantly committed" by the Communist Party of the Philippines and its armed wing, the New People’s Army. “Apparently, the CPP/NPA is on a violent extortion rampage. Extortion is committed by the NPA rebels either to fund their operations or for purely personal gains," said Del Rosario. He said the rebels’ extortion activities show the desperation “of a dying organization bereft of people support." The warehouse of Philip Morris/Fortune Tobacco in Sta Cruz, Ilocos Sur was burned by a group of rebels that swooped down at its compound last May 22 for its refusal to pay “revolutionary taxes" to the communist movement. In Davao Oriental, Del Rosario said the rebels burned last May 23 construction equipment of the ABA Construction Company despite the company’s partial payment of P460,000 of the P1.6 million the rebels were extorting. On May 24 also in Davao Oriental, the rebels also burned an Elf truck also due to the owner’s failure to heed the rebels’ extortion demands. In Surigao City on May 25, the insurgents torched a number of construction equipment of CTM Construction also due to the firm’s refusal to heed the rebels’ financial demands. Del Rosario said he is expecting that the “extortion rampage" of the NPA to continue. “It will not cease soon because extortion activity is a major source of support to the CPP-NPA" he said. — KBK, GMA News