The Amihan National Federation of Peasant Women strongly condemned the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) for its ongoing military operations and attacks on rural communities. The Marcos regime implements these under the National Action Plan for Unity, Peace and Development (NAP-UPD).
On July 31, elements from the 8th ID dropped bombs on the indigenous community in Barangay San Isidro, Las Navas, Northern Samar. The 16th IB soldiers also launched aerial bombing in Barangay Maguibay, Tagkawayan, Quezon on August 2.
On August 1, elements of the 4th IB mercilessly killed and accused farmer Juan Sumiling in Barangay Naibuan, San Jose, Occidental Mindoro of being a member of the New People’s Army (NPA).
Masquerading as peace implementors in the countryside, NAP-UPD boosts continuous military presence in peasant communities, intensifying human rights violations and impunity. The AFP and the National Task Force-Elcac military junta first implemented this harsher form of operations during the Duterte regime.
Amihan National chairperson Zenaida Soriano also stated that the AFP’s military operations contradict the US-Marcos regime’s declaration that guerrilla groups no longer exist in the country. The regime continues to use the New People’s Army pretext to occupy civilian communities and sow terror in the countryside.
According to Amihan’s Defend Peasant Women Campaign, the AFP targets peasant women and peasant leaders defending their rights to land and self-determination. The severe militarization causes widespread displacement and loss of livelihoods for thousands of farmers, fisherfolk, and indigenous families. Moreover, peasant women, children, and indigenous peoples experience injustice, fear, suffering, extrajudicial killings, illegal arrests and detention, fabricated charges, Red-tagging, forced surrender, and hamleting of their communities.
“Like the currently imprisoned Duterte, the US-Marcos regime and its cronies must be held accountable for their blatant and consistent violation of international humanitarian laws. The NTF-Elcac must also be abolished,” Amihan said.
“The Filipino people need genuine land reform, not bombs,” Soriano declared.
