Permit-to-campaign fees being imposed by the New People's Army on candidates from senatorial to mayoralty positions for them to enter and campaign in the so-called "guerilla zones" range from P50,000 to P500,000, police intelligence reports show.

Brig. Gen. Gregorio Fajardo, Negros Island military commander, however, said they have not received any complaint from candidates in the May 14 elections about being charged campaign fees.

In the 2004 elections, the military recovered copies of demands for permit-to-campaign fees from three arrested rebels in Cauayan, military records show.

Police reports show that senatorial candidates are being required to pay a maximum of P500,000, congressional aspirants - P300,000, governors and mayors - P50,000.

Fajardo said he has received information that the rebels may resort to the sending of emissaries, instead of permit-to-campaign fees demand, to candidates in the May 14 elections.

Region 6 police director Wilfredo Dulay, meanwhile, reported that the CPP-NPA in Panay island has already started seeking campaign permit fees from politicians, for them to have an access to their so-called controlled areas in Panay island.

Police records show there are 72 insurgency-affected areas in Negros Occidental.

Fajardo is calling on candidates not to accede to "extortion demands" of the communist New People's Army.

PNP chief Oscar Calderon had earlier warned candidates that paying campaign fees to the CPP-NPA is tantamount to disloyalty to the government, and punishable under the Revised Penal Code.

Captured rebel leader Raul Villar, alias Ka Drilon, confirmed that some politicians gave M-16 assault rifles to their group, as a "gate pass" for them to campaign in NPA-controlled areas.

However, the military has not determined how much the CPP-NPA had collected from local politicians in the previous election.

On Wednesday Lt. Gen. Cardoso Luna, AFP Central Command chief, met with Fajardo and other Army field commanders in Negros island, to re-assess their campaign plan against the CPP-NPA.*GPB

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