TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol — Authorities here have launched an investigation on the alleged permit-to-campaign demands of the New People’s Army (NPA) after the Armed Forces of the Philippines recovered at least two demand letters allegedly prepared by the rebel group.

Philippine Army (PA) Major Jose Laplap, Executive Officer of the 2nd Forces Battalion based in Bilar town said he has in his possession two extortion letters, one carrying the logo of the Communist Party of the Philippines — National Democratic Front (CPP-NDF) and the other in the form of a page torn from a notebook.

Laplap said they are particularly conducting a probe on the letter bearing the CPP-NDF logo as the tone of the letter “sounded real” while the other one was dismissed as a mere extortion note and not coming from the NPA.

The extortion note, written on a sheet of a notebook, demanded R25,000 from a businesswoman while the tenor of the other letter sounded more authentic, said Laplap.

Bohol Police Provincial Office (BPPO) Director Anthony Obenza said his office has not received any report on extortion letters or demands for a permit-to-campaign from the rebel group.

A company of police reinforcements from the Regional Public Safety Group, formerly the Regional Mobile Group, has already been sent to at least three towns in Bohol to ensure peace and order during the entire campaign period for local candidates.

Obenza earlier said the additional police force has been sent as augmentation force to the towns of Getafe, Trinidad, and Ubay to maintain peace and order.