The Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP), along with the Alyansa ng Magbubukid sa Bulacan -AMB and Tanggol Magsasaka a, highlighted the perpetuation of Marcos Jr.’s legacy by maintaining de facto Martial Law conditions in San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan (SJDM), a day before the 52nd anniversary of Marcos Sr.’s Martial Law.

The report back forum, titled “Defend Bagsakan Farmers, Assert Our Right to Land and Food,” shed light on the 80th Infantry Battalion’s encirclement of Bagsakan farmers’ communities and the psychological warfare hindering their agricultural production and livelihoods.

The forum reported on the August 20th solidarity mission, which attempted to enter Sitio Ricafort in SJDM to document human rights violations but was barred entry by Araneta private security personnel. The Bagsakan farmers from SJDM are food producers who sell their produce directly to consumers, bypassing the unfair pricing imposed by middlemen. Through “bungkalan,” or collective land cultivation, they have asserted their right to agricultural land from landlords such as the presidential brother-in-law Greggy Araneta III in SJDM. “Taliwas ito sa black propaganda ng 80th IB at NTF-ELCAC na ang mga Bagsakan Farmers ay NPA” (This contradicts the black propaganda of the 80th IB and NTF-ELCAC, claiming that the Bagsakan farmers are members of the NPA), Rex Cesora from Tanggol Magsasaka remarked.

At least twenty incidents of human rights violations and breaches of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) were documented during the solidarity mission. These reports included military encampments near the farming communities, coercion to sign documents of disaffiliation, forced surrenders, and the profiling of farmer-residents, who were threatened with arrest and abduction if they refused to cooperate. The 80th IB also set up camp next to Tungkong Mangga, which has since become the site of military summons. Forced surrenders, coercion, violations of freedom of association, and the military occupation of civilian spaces are all violations of IHL.

“Hinahanap nila ako. Kapag lumabas ako, alam kong tataniman nila ang bahay ko” (They’re looking for me. If I go out, I know they’ll plant something in my house), said Cecil Rapiz, chairperson of AMB, as she recounted the intimidations the military had inflicted on her. Similarly, on June 18th, the 80th IB and Bulacan PNP conducted a rogue operation, without the knowledge of the City Government of SJDM, to raid and plant arms and explosives in the house of KMP Secretary General Ronnie Manalo.

The delegates from the mission recommended the following actions to address the crisis in SJDM:

1. Withdrawal of the 80th IB and cessation of militarization in peasant communities.

2. Holding the military officers and Bulacan PNP accountable for their falsified operations against Ronnie Manalo.

3. Investigating the role of barangay and city officials and the oversights that failed to prevent military abuses in SJDM.

4. Addressing the economic and mental health impacts of military harassment and presence.

5. Ending and retracting the red-tagging accusations against legal personalities and farmers.

6. Launching an independent investigation by the Commission on Human Rights and other government agencies.

7. Encouraging everyone to support the call for the immediate withdrawal of the 80th IB from SJDM.

Incidents of military intimidation and coercion in SJDM persist to this day. Let us heed the call to Defend Bungkalan and Defend Bagsakan!

Read about the Bagsakan farmers and their fight for land here: linktr.ee/Bagsakan