The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and its armed wing, the New People's Army (NPA), have been collecting over P1 billion in extortion fees from various businesses in Mindanao every year, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana bared Sunday.
Lorenzana said this is one of the reasons why the communist group continues to thrive despite the arrest, killing, or mass surrender of its members and supporters.
"Ang local na funding nila rito ay extortion (Their local funding remains to be extortion), it is still extortion plain and simple. Dyan sa Mindanao lang siguro, ang tantsa namin ang na-e-extort nila dyan sa mga minahan, plantation, bus companies, mga businesses ay umaabot ng mahigit isang bilyong piso isang taon (In Mindanao alone, our estimate is that they can extort over P1 billion per year from the mining companies, bus companies, and other businesses)," he said in a radio interview over dzBB.
In a separate interview with defense reporters, Lorenzana said that the figure was based on an intelligence report which he obtained in 2017.
"That is the figure given by the intelligence community so I think there is a basis for that claim. Remember that most of the mining, the huge banana plantations, are in western Mindanao. Add the telcos and the government projects being done by private contractors and the amount extorted is huge," he explained.
"This is the main source of their financing. It is no surprise that that is where they have the most NPA," he added.
Aside from extortion, the CPP-NPA also allegedly get funds through foreign financial assistance given to various non-government organizations (NGOs) which are supposedly serving as their front organizations.
He claimed that the foreign funding is being handled by CPP founder Jose Maria "Joma" Sison, who is in a self-exile for over 30 years now in Utrecht, The Netherlands.
"Mayroon din silang tinatawag na international solidarity work na pinapatakbo ni Mr. Sison mula doon sa Utrecht. Marami nang nagosyo dyan sa Europe na nagbibigay dahil nga sa kanyang sinasabi, inaapi ng gobyerno 'yung mga tao at kailangan tulungan sila kaya sila nagbibigay rito (They also have an international solidarity work that is being managed by Mr. Sison from Utrecht. A lot of people were deceived in Europe because he was saying that the government is maltreating the people and they need help, that's why the donors are giving money to them)," Lorenzana said.
Sison has yet to comment on the latest allegation of Lorenzana but in an earlier statement, he already denied receiving funds from international sources and giving it to the NPA.
Nonetheless, Lorenzana said that the national government has been very meticulous in scrutinizing foreign assistance coming into the country to prevent it from ending up in the hands of communist groups.
"Ang Department of Foreign Affairs ay talagang tyinatyani niya ngayon 'yung mga dumarating na mga pera, kung saan papunta, anong NGO, at saka itsi-check na natin siguro, ng gobyerno kung ano ang ginagawa ng NGO na 'yan (The Department of Foreign Affairs is really closely monitoring the money that comes in, where and what NGO it ends up, and the government also checks the background of that NGO)," he said.
Meanwhile, Lorenzana said he instructed the military to be on alert against possible attacks that might be carried out by the NPA with the incoming celebration of the CPP's 52nd founding anniversary on December 26.
The defense chief, however, expressed confidence that the NPA could no longer mount big attacks unlike before since their strength has significantly diminished.
"Pwede pa naman silang gumawa ng mga maliit na pag-atake pero sa tingin ko mahihirapan na sila kasi ang dami na talagang bumaba na kasamahan nila mapa-armado pati 'yung mga supporters nila. (They can still do small attacks but I think it will be hard for them because a lot of their members already surrendered, whether the armed ones or their supporters)," Lorenzana said.
In a report released by the Armed Forces on Saturday (December 12), it said that a total of 201 communist rebels were already killed; 264 others were arrested; and 7,615 fighters, militias, propagandists, and underground mass organization members and supporters have surrendered to authorities since January, 2020.