from web site
December 18, 2000, The Philippine Star, Rebs step up taxation for CPP anniversary, by Charlie Lagasca,
BAYOMBONG, Nueva Viz-caya — New People's Army (NPA) rebels have intensified their collection of "revolutionary taxes" in the Nueva Vizcaya-Nueva Ecija-Quirino tri-boundary in time for the Communist Party of the Philippines' 32nd founding anniversary on Dec. 26.
Army Col. Inocencio Mayangao, commanding officer of the 54th Infantry Battalion (IB) based in the province, disclosed that more and more businessmen, mostly rice and vegetable traders, are complaining about the huge amount of "revolutionary taxes" the rebels are demanding from them.
This has prompted local businessmen, he said, to be up in arms over what they described as "unjust, arbitrary and excessive revolutionary taxes" being imposed upon them by the traditionally Maoist NPA guerrillas. Mayangao said these businessmen have received letters purportedly from the NPA's Arcadio Peralta Command, demanding that they shell out as much as P100,000 in time for the CPP's founding anniversary.
Last Dec. 14, four heavily armed men, who claimed to be members of the Arcadio Peralta Command, stopped a Manila-bound cargo truck along the national highway in Minuli, Carranglan, Nueva Ecija, and handed the driver, Romeo Gutierrez, a letter with the CPP logo demanding P100,000. The rebels then seized the vehicle and all pertinent documents and cargo, including the driver's license and vehicle registration, and fled toward the south.
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