Maj. Gen. Andres Centino, commander of the Army's 4th Infantry Division. (Photo courtesy of 4ID)
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – The Army's 4th Infantry Division (4ID) has sought public support for the military's efforts to stop the extortion schemes of the Communist Party of the Philippines - New People's Army (CPP-NPA) in the Northern Mindanao and Caraga regions.
Maj. Gen. Andres Centino, 4ID commander, underscored on Thursday the need to stop the extortion of the communist rebel movement to prevent it from recruiting more minors and reinforcing its dwindling forces.
Centino said depriving the CPP-NPA of funding would also reduce its access to weapons while freeing the few remaining rural villages from its influence.
“We take the lead in destroying the CPP-NPA but to stop their extortion activities, we enjoin the members of this body through the regional, provincial and municipal task force to end the local communist armed conflict to do their share. The CPP-NPA members, without resources, will surely be defeated and can no longer recruit new members nor conduct atrocities against our people," he said.
Centino noted that based on seized NPA documents and statements of former rebels, the CPP-NPA managed to extort PHP118 million in 4ID’s areas of responsibility.
The figure, he said, is 51 percent of the collections generated by the rebels from their extortion and other illegal activities in 2019.
Centino said the actual funds generated by the rebel group might be bigger since it was usual for most of its unit commanders not to report collections.
Out of PHP118 million, at least PHP85.9 million or 36 percent comes from mining firms in Caraga, he said.
“This amount was used not only for their food and sustainment but also for buying ammunition and materials for making bombs that they will use against the government forces and the people in the communities that do not support their cause,” Centino said.
It can be recalled that the 23rd Infantry Battalion managed to seize eight anti-personnel mines, blasting caps, 11 containers of ammonium nitrate, and hundreds of ammunitions at a CPP-NPA depot in Esperanza town, Agusan del Sur on June 24.
He said to fulfill the intent of President Rodrigo Duterte to end the local communist armed conflict during the latter's term, the CPP-NPA "should be destroyed and their extortion activities stopped." (PNA)
