Operations by the 80th Infantry Battalion (IB) against peasant communities in San Jose Del Monte(SJDM), Bulacan has continued for two months now.
Last June 18, the 80th IB illegally raided and planted evidence against KMP Secretary General Ronnie Manalo. They also intimidated, interrogated, and restricted the movements of the residents of Barangays San Roque and Paradise 3. On June 21, the soldiers had set up camp in Paradise 3. They held a terror-tagging “seminar” with its barangay officials on June 24. At midnight of June 27, two vehicles of heavily-armed soldiers went inside the peasant community of Baryo Bisaya in Brgy. Tungkong Mangga. They entered the house of a former official of a local peasant organization. Reports of military presence continued to pour in throughout July, establishing an atmosphere of fear and restlessness among residents (especially the elderly and children). Through several camps, the 80th IB had practically enforced a military encirclement against peasant communities in four barangays of SJDM by August 13.
Affecting around 400 rural families, the soldiers have undertaken a psywar campaign for fake surrenders. They utilize intimidation, threats, and coercion in house-to-house interrogations and summons, explicitly red-tagging KMP and the mere act of participating in protests. Those who are “uncooperative” and refuse to attend the military’s summons or to be “caught” attending protests are threatened with arrest. Implying violence, the heavily armed soldiers coerce residents to “clear” their names and surrender themselves as terrorists or “sympathizers”. The ongoing military operations have maligned and disrupted the activities of the local farmers’ organizations. Unable to freely move around, their agricultural production is also affected.
KMP condemns the 80th IB’s persistent militarization of peasant communities in SJDM. The soldiers have violated the Bagsakan farmers’ constitutionally-guaranteed human rights, putting their lives and safety in danger. They should immediately leave the farmers alone and let them resume their farming activities. KMP and its local chapters are legal and legitimate organizations promoting peasants’ rights. These include not only the right to speak, organize, assemble, and due process, but also the right to land, livelihood, and social services. We urge the local government of SJDM to more firmly stand with farmers and democracy, and refuse to be used in the military’s campaign of terror and human rights violations.
In a dialog with the farmers last August 13, the Office of the Mayor of SJDM recognized the “chilling effect” caused by the 80th IB’s actions, insisting that the soldiers should not terrorize farmers.
The affected farmer organizations in SJDM are the primary source of products and direct sellers in the Bagsakan farmers’ market. Read more about them here: linktr.ee/Bagsakan
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