by VICENTE ALEJANDRO
TACLOBAN CITY – The National Democratic Front-Eastern Visayas has denied it is demanding “permit to campaign” and “permit to win” fees from candidates which the military alleged ranged from P50,000 to P5 million.
“There is no such thing as ‘permit to campaign/permit to win fees,’” said Fr. Santiago “Ka Sanny” Salas, NDF-EV spokesperson.
The military here earlier claimed that based on recovered documents, the rebels are allegedly collecting permit to campaign fees depending on the post a candidate is seeking in the May 13 elections.
Salas, in a press statement dated Feb. 24, branded this as a “counter-revolutionary propaganda” by the Aquino government and the Philippine Army’s 8th Infantry Division, which is based in the region.
But he admitted that the NDF has strict guidelines on candidates straying into their stronghold or ‘territories’.