GENERAL SANTOS CITY (PNA) – Government troops have increased their presence in several parts of Sarangani province following reports on renewed extortion activities by communist rebels among local candidates for the upcoming May 10 synchronized national and local elections.

Lt. Col. Edgardo de Leon, commander of the Army’s 73rd Infantry Battalion, said Monday they sent additional troops to secure some remote areas to monitor the movements of New People’s Army (NPA), which has reportedly started to send feelers for the payment of the so-called permits-to-campaign or PTC fees to local candidates in the province.

“Some politicians in the municipalities of Alabel, Malapatan and Glan have confirmed that they received initial feelers from the NPA demanding payment of PTC fees,” he said.

He said the NPA rebels were demanding the candidates to pay the PTC fees so they could campaign in some remote parts of the province during the campaign period.

The Commission on Elections earlier scheduled the start of the official campaign period for local candidates in the May 10 polls on March 26.

De Leon did not say how much the supposed NPA rebels were charging Sarangani politicians for the PTCs but cited that they usually depend on the positions being vied by the candidates.

Koronadal City (pbc/PIA) -- Thousands of hectares rice and cornlands in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) have been severely affected by the onslaught of the dry spell.

ARMM Executive Secretary Naguid Sinarimbo said, although there are still no figures on the extent of the damage on agriclutral crops as a result of El Niño, just like many regions in the country, several areas in the autonomous region begin to feel the effects of the dry spell on rice, corn and livestock production..

Sinarimbo said, since the autonomous region is basically an agriclutre-based area, they expect several areas would be affected by the El Niño.

"Sa tingin natin, tatamaan din ng husto ang autonomous regional government dahil essentially agriculture-based tayo, at pag kulang ang tubig konting crops ang pwedeng itanim and we are aware of that," Sinarimbo said.

The officiazl said, the regional leadership is serious about crafting an intervention to cushion the effects of EL Niño on the lives of the people.

ARMM Acting Regional Governor Ansarrudin Adiong has directed the Departments of Agriculture (DA) and Health (DOH) to immediately conduct a rapid assessment on the effects of El Niño, Sinarimbo said.

The regional governor, he said, is also vigorously coordinating with the Department of Agriclture Central Office in Manila for possible immediate assistance to the agriculture sector.

As this developed, the regional government is prepared to extend necessary assistance to affected farmers in the autonomous region, he said.

GENERAL SANTOS CITY (PNA) -– Sarangani Gov. Miguel Dominguez ordered the relief Friday of the jail warden and duty guards of the Sarangani provincial jail in connection with the escape early Thursday of an alleged field commander of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) who was tagged as behind the series of attacks in Maasim town in 2008.

Dominguez said he relieved jail warden Renato Purisima and five of his men pending the ongoing investigation on the escape of suspect Muhammad Jafar Maguid alias Tikboy Maguid from the provincial jail in Barangay Baluntay in Alabel town around dawn Thursday.

The relieved jail guards, who were listed as on duty along with warden Purisima at the time of the jailbreak, were identified as Cesar Abton, Benjamin Tondog Jr., Ragie Bogador, Venancio Mandi and Frederick Tanedo.

“We’re trying to establish whether this was a case of an inside job or he escaped just by his own,” the governor said.

Aside from the relief of the six jail personnel, Dominguez said they have put up a P100,000 reward for any information that would lead to the arrest of the suspect, who was considered a “high risk” prisoner.