QUEZON CITY, Philippines (Eagle News) — The New People’s Army earned Php 1.4 billion from extortion activities in 2017.
This is according to the Eastern Mindanao Command’s Lt. Gen. Benjamin Madrigal.
According to Madrigal, the money was extorted from agricultural and mining companies in Mindanao.
Madrigal said the amount can buy over 23,000 AK-47 rifles and 31 million ammunition.
Cost of damage caused by NPA attacks amount to Php1.2 billion, the official said.
The NPA, the armed group of the Communist Party of the Philippines, has been declared a terrorist group by President Rodrigo Duterte.
Duterte officially terminated peace talks with the communists, citing what he said were their extortion activities, and their killing of soldiers even when a ceasefire was in place.
