AFP: 295 candidates paid P37M for NPA 'permit to win'

Fearing reprisal from them on Election Day, at least 295 candidates have paid up to P37 million to get "permit-to-win" (PTW) letters from the communist New People's Army (NPA) in Western Visayas. SunStar Iloilo reported Tuesday that this was the finding of the military's 3rd Civil Relations Group under Capt. Lowen Gil Marquez. The figures could be higher as Marquez noted that his office has yet to receive reports from Iloilo and Guimaras. Marquez said most of those who got PTW letters were from Capiz province, including two congressional candidates; 10 mayoral candidates; 10 vice mayoral candidates, 15 provincial board (PB) bets; and 80 municipal council bets. Those who paid also included candidates from Aklan, Antique and Negros Occidental. In these areas, the candidates include a congressional bet from each province, five mayoral candidates, five vice mayoral bets, eight PB and 40 municipal council members. Marquez estimated the candidates from these areas "pledged" to pay P7.5 million. Marquez said that their recent intelligence reports showed that the NPA has shifted their operations from permit to campaign to permit to win since Tuesday in order to gain more money. - GMANews.TV