Rebel
sightings in different front areas in the province is believed to be a reactivation
of the underground movement, but speculations ran high that it's "money-making"
just in time for the coming May elections.
The
Provincial Peace and Order Council (PPOC) was informed of the matter during its
meeting at Bohol Tropics Resort Club here, presided over by Gov. Erico Aumentado
last Monday.
Newly
installed Col. Jessie Dellusa, commanding officer of the 302nd company of the
Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), apprised the council in his report during
the said meeting.
| | | Dellusa
noticed the reactivation of rebel's activities following the Feb. 3 encounter
with Scout Rangers in Behind the Clouds, Batuan town that killed a government
trooper, and wounded two others.
He
hinted that the "extortion" activities will escalate as the campaign
period draws near.
Their
"extortion" spree, extracting fees from candidates for "permit-to-campaign"
(PTC) is expected to be launched in areas they consider their controlled territory
in the hinterlands. |
Dellusa
said that probably the rebels would just want to reinforce the "waning"
Bohol insurgents. His assessment on the rebel reinforcement is based on the documents
recovered from the site of the latest encounter.
One
of the recovered items left behind by the rebels was a stationery marked "Evelyn
Dublin Command" in Leyte, which confirmed that the reinforcement was coming
from Leyte. And this group could be a striking force of the rebels in the entire
Visayas.
He
called on businessmen and those running for elective posts in May to refrain from
giving "revolutionary taxes" or PTC fees to the rebel movement as this
would help sustain the movement.
For
years now, it is a public knowledge that some businesses in the province have
been handing "financial" aid to the movement for fear of retaliation
if they don't cooperate.
It
maybe recalled that in 1998 elections, the brand new car of Sagbayan Mayor Jimmy
Torrefranca was torched by rebels while the campaign was going on for failure
to give PTC fee. (RVO) | 
