The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) on Tuesday, May 17, declared it will remain unfazed by any threat, extortion and intimidation from persons claiming to be members of the New People’s Army (NPA).
“As an independent National Human Rights Institution, the CHR shall not yield to any form of extortion or threat by any individual or group," CHR Executive Director Jacqueline Ann de Guia said in a statement.
De Guia cited at least two incidents of possible extortion and security threats made by an alleged commander and a member of NPA in their Region X and XII offices.
Last May 11, the security officer handling the CHR Region XII cellphone hotline received a call from a person who introduced himself as an NPA Commander. The caller asked for P8,000 for his wounded comrade and warned the security officer that he knows all the personnel of CHR Region XII, she said.
Also last May 11, De Guia said that CHR Region X office received a call through its hotline from a person who claimed to be an NPA member.
The caller also asked for financial assistance amounting to P200,000. The following day, the said regional office received another phone call from a person with the same voice who threatened one of the investigators in CHR Region XII, she said.
"CHR strongly condemns these brazen acts of extortion and threats against our regional offices,” she stressed.
"We ask all the proper authorities, particularly the Philippine National Police (PNP), to conduct an immediate parallel investigation as we do our own probe on the incident. We also expediently request for PNP security and protection to the said CHR regional offices and their personnel," she added.