Don’t pay taxes to NPA: army general

By Mar T. Supnad

FORT MAGSAYSAY, Palayan City- A Philippine army general has urged candidates come local polls not to pay revolutionary taxes to a group or individual claiming to be members of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army rebels in Central and Northern Luzon.

           

Brig. Gen. Gregorio Pio Catapang, commanding general of the Army’s 7th Infantry Division, said there are no more such revolutionary taxes being imposed by the rebels, saying those who are claiming as such are just plain civilian extortionists.

           

“My advice to these local candidates is not to pay such revolutionary taxes since those (asking) are just plain extortionists; report to us once you have encountered this,” said Catapang said.

For his part, Senior Supt. Ricardo Zapata, Bataan police director, also instructed his men to closely monitor if such incidents still exists in Bataan, but ho doubted it.              

This development came after a jobless man who claimed to be a member of the NPA was arrested last week by police  and Army personnel as he tried to collect money during an entrapment in Lourdes Subdivision, Barangay Tuyo, Balanga City.

           

Chief Insp. Crizalde M. Conde, chief of police of Limay town, who led the operation, reported that ConradoPascual, 46, of barangay Tenejero, Balanga City, was collared by government forces after trying to receive P50,000 of cash money he had extorted from a woman in Limay.

           

Also confiscated from the suspect was a toy gun, a replica of a caliber 45, two cellular phones, cash money and a Motor cycle.

           

“The suspect name-dropped the NPA to extort money, so we conducted an entrapment and we got him in the act of receiving money,” said Zapata.

           

The arrest of the suspect came after a businesswoman from Bernabe Subdivision, Barangay Reformista, Limay, personally sought the help of Maj. Conde after receiving a phone call from unidentified man, threatening to kidnap her kids if she will not give P 50,000.00.

           

The money will be reportedly be used as expenses of the suspect’s comrades who were reportedly injured.

           

Conde formed a team and conducted the entrapment operation.

           

Quoting the victim, Conde said the “NPA rebel” will kill all the victim’s children studying at Methodist School of Limay. “At this instance, the undersigned planned an entrapment operation to apprehend the caller,” Condetold  Zapata.

           

The arrested suspect was jailed at Limay PNP station whiule charges for Violation of Article 294 (Robbery with Violence Against or Intimidation of Persons) of the Revised Penal Code were prepared against him.