PNP Warns BSKE Candidates Against Financing NPA Extortion Schemes

Manila — The Philippine National Police (PNP) issued a stern warning on Friday to candidates in the upcoming Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE), cautioning against involvement in the New People’s Army’s (NPA) “permit to campaign” and “permit to win” extortion schemes.

According to a news release by Philippines News Agency, PNP Directorate for Police Community Relations (DPCR) Chief Maj. Gen. Edgar Alan Okubo stated that candidates who pay campaign fees to the communist rebels will face legal consequences. Okubo highlighted that this activity is punishable under Section 4 of Republic Act (RA) 10168, known as the Anti-Terror Financing Act of 2012, as well as RA 11479, or the Anti-Terrorism Law of 2020.

Okubo clarified that although the PNP currently has no records of election-related plans and activities by communist terrorist groups (CTGs), the police force will not be complacent in safeguarding the integrity of the BSKE votes. Intelligence data from the directorate indicate that NPA’s nationwide strength has dwindled to 1,529 members—707 in Luzon, 575 in the Visayas, and 247 in Mindanao.

While 19 guerrilla fronts have been weakened in areas ranging from Ilocos-Cordillera to Soccskasargen, Okubo warned that remnants of the NPA can still extort money from fearful candidates. These weakened fronts are under continuous monitoring by the PNP.

In a related development, National Youth Commission (NYC) Chairman Undersecretary Ronald Gian Carlo Cardema urged voters to elect candidates who are committed to nation-building, rather than those with inclinations toward bringing down the government. Cardema emphasized the importance of selecting youth leaders who will actively contribute to the country’s development, as opposed to those aligned with CTG ideologies.