NDFP to bets: No guns, stop vote-buying

DAVAO CITY — The National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) on Tuesday warned candidates in the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections against vote-buying and bringing firearms when campaigning in areas where communist rebels operate.

In a statement, Maria Malaya, spokesperson for the NDFP in northeastern Mindanao, said the move was aimed at protecting voters against harassment and corrupt practices that could affect the outcome of the May 14 elections.

She said candidates who have secured permits from
the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to carry firearms outside their homes should not bring their security aides to areas controlled by the New People’s Army (NPA).

Coordination

“All candidates are (also warned against bringing along) paramilitary and AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) forces implementing [the government’s] community organizing for peace and development [program] while campaigning, as it will influence or force voters to support a candidate,” she said.

Malaya also warned candidates against holding “counterrevolutionary activities,” such as intelligence gathering or discrediting the NDFP and NPA, using violence against their rivals, resorting to vote-buying, and bringing along crime suspects during the campaign.

She urged candidates to “coordinate” with the NPA’s local units if they wanted to clarify these guidelines, which, she said, the rebels issued to ensure peaceful elections.

Sabotage

Military officers, however, said they were not bound to follow the NPA.

“First, they do not have revolutionary areas to talk about. All areas within the Philippine archipelago are under the control of the Philippine government and the AFP is bound to secure them,” Maj. Ezra Balagtey, spokesperson for the military’s Eastern Mindanao Command, said. “We ensure the peaceful conduct of the elections and allow no one to sabotage it,” he added.

“We will be securing voters for them to exercise their right to freely select their community leaders,” he said.

Balagtey said NPA rebels were engaging in coercion “through their permit to campaign and permit to win schemes.”

In North Cotabato province, soldiers clashed with NPA rebels in Makilala town on Tuesday but there were no reports of casualties, police said. —Reports from Allan Nawal, Williamor Magbanua and Eldie Aguirre