June 2,
2008: The communist NPA is turning into
a very effective criminal gang. They are specializing in extortion, which has
become their major activity. Since having been branded an international
terrorist organization after September 11, 2001, contributions from overseas
leftists have declined, and this forced greater reliance on banditry to
survive. As is usually the case with armed rebels who are fading, the NPA is
evolving into an apolitical criminal organization. This is making the NPA
harder to destroy. It's no longer about politics, but about making money with a
gun. The NPA still has several thousand armed followers, organized into several
dozen separate "gangs." No other criminal organization in the country is quite
that large and well armed. Even Moslem rebels are realizing that you can do
better economically if you use your weapons to pull off purely criminal acts
(extortion and kidnapping being the most profitable), than to fight to Moslem
autonomy or the establishment of a communist police state.
The army
and national police are cracking down on corruption and sloppiness. A lot more
readiness inspections, and investigations are taking place. Dozens of corrupt
police are being fired each month and soldiers of all ranks are being charged
with corruption or incompetence. For decades, reformers have pushed for this
sort of thing, and not they have some momentum. No telling how long it will
last, though. The corrupt practices have been around a long time and have many
fans.
May 30,
2008: In the south, someone used
explosives to bring down two electric transmission towers, cutting off power to
a large area. No one took credit, and a criminal extortion scheme is suspected.
May 29,
2008: A bomb went off near the main gate
of a U.S. facility (Edwin Andrews Air Base) in the south. Three civilians were
killed and 17 wounded. No one took credit, and a criminal extortion scheme is
suspected.
May 25,
2008: In Basilan, fighting broke out
between marines, and Moslems (Abu Sayyaf and MILF). Increasingly, the local
MILF are siding with the Abu Sayyaf terrorists, largely because Abu Sayyaf
plays on the "us" (Moslems) versus "them" (Christian soldiers and marines)
angle.
