Director General Jesus Verzosa, chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), urged Saturday local and national candidates to seek police and military protection instead of yielding to the permit to campaign of the communist rebels which he described as an extortion racket of the New People’s Army (NPA).

“We have been receiving reports about that even in the past but we have not substantiated that because of lack of testimony from the victims,” said Verzosa in an interview.

The PNP Chief is reacting to reports that the NPA is raking in money from local candidates either through permit to campaign or permit to win.

He added that the rebels are asking particular amounts for every candidates.

The official explained that the same report also revealed that communist rebels are even threatening the candidates harm if they would not yield to the demands of the NPA.

Reports also revealed that some candidates are also paying permit to win to the NPA in order to ensure their victory in rebel-infested areas.

“Our problem is that no one to corroborate this on the part of the candidates. They should cooperate with us because what they (NPA) are doing is plain and simple extortion,” said Verzosa.

Verzosa said that among the areas where NPA is again active in demanding permit to campaign are Quezon province, some parts of Rizal, Mindoro Occidental, and Mindoro Oriental and some parts of Palawan.

Most parts of the Bicol region, especially Masbate and Sorsogon, are also the reported area where the NPA usually intensifies its activities every election period, he added.

“The PNP and the AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) are ready to secure candidates if they received threats from NPA or other threat groups, all they have to do is to coordinate with us,” said Verzosa.