NDF vows to attack Mindanao power firms for ‘theatrics’ to hike rates

DAVAO CITY, Philippines—The National Democratic Front organization in Mindanao said Thursday the New People’s Army will now include power companies among its targets for attacks  because they have been burdening consumers.

Jorge Madlos, NDF Mindanao spokesperson, said the power companies were exaggerating the existence of an energy crisis to justify increases in power rates.

“These power companies are engaged in theatrics so they can raise the price of energy,” Madlos said in a statement issued on the 43rd anniversary of the NPA.

He said among the possible targets was the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines, which is owned by a group led by tycoon Henry Sy.

“We are studying this NGCP,” he said.

The NGCP has said the power problem in Mindanao was real and that it has resorted to load curtailments to prevent overdrawing of electricity from power sources.

Madlos said the problem was  compounded by the government’s ready acceptance of the line peddled by private power companies.

“This is the problem with the government. Instead of having its own energy industry, it is giving in to the private sector,” he said, adding that that this has emboldened power companies to increase rates at will.

In threatening power companies, Madlos noted that the NPA had  attacked private companies in the past. In fact, there were 600 punitive actions against various companies last year, he said.

Madlos noted that among the private companies the rebels have targeted were large-scale agricultural and mining companies “that degrade the environment and caused displacements of individuals.”

“All of them are open targets should they fail to comply with our revolutionary policies,” he added, citing as examples Taganito Mining Corp. in Surigao del Norte, which came under NPA attack in October, Xstrata’s Sagittarius Mines Inc. in Tampakan, South Cotabato, and the American-Canadian firm Russell Mines in Compostela Valley.

“We are warning them, if they don’t follow our condition and talk with the Lumad (tribal people) then there is going to be punitive actions,” Madlos said. “The attitude is that we don’t compromise but we are open for discussions.”