Yesterday marked one year since the illegal raid on the home of Ronnie Manalo, Secretary General of the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP). On June 18, 2024, around 7:00 AM, elements of the 80th Infantry “Steadfast” Battalion (80th IB) and the Philippine National Police – Special Action Forces (PNP-SAF) forcibly entered and ransacked Ronnie Manalo’s home in Barangay San Roque, City of San Jose del Monte (CSJDM), Bulacan, claiming to have recovered firearms, explosives, and so-called subversive materials. The raid — conducted without a valid search warrant and absent any credible basis—was a direct assault not only on Manalo, but on the right of farmers and activists to freely organize and speak out against injustice.

This anniversary arrives as the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression, Irene Khan, releases her final report on the Philippines. The report exposes the intensifying erosion of civil liberties in the country, citing the weaponization of laws, red-tagging, and judicial harassment against government critics, journalists, and human rights defenders. Her findings validate what the mass movement have long endured: a climate of repression where expressing dissent is met with state violence, legal persecution, or worse.

Ronnie Manalo’s case is a painful illustration of the truth laid bare by Khan’s report. As a leader devoted to the cause of land reform and farmers’ rights, Manalo became a target of the state’s crackdown on progressive voices. It is clear that the threats to his safety and liberty was not an isolated incident. The June 2024 raid then prompted a months-long “chilling effect” in the farming communities of CSJDM, primarily to “Bagsakan Farmers”. The 80th IB’s psychological warfare—marked by threats, harassment, and forced surrenders—disrupted livelihoods and spread fear.

“Isang makasaysayang pagkilala ito sa dinaranas naming panunupil at panggigipit. Tagumpay ito, hindi lamang para sa mga magsasaka kundi para sa lahat ng Pilipino na patuloy na lumalaban para sa karapatan at kalayaan,” said KMP SecGen and Tanggol Magsasaka Spokesperson Ronnie Manalo. “Ang panawagan na buwagin ang NTF-ELCAC at pagbabasura ng Anti-Terrorism Law ay pagkilalang matagal na naming ipinaglalaban. Patunay ito na hindi talaga maikakaila sa buong daigdig ang pasistang pang-aabuso ng estado laban sa mga magsasaka, aktibista, at tagapagtanggol ng karapatang pantao.”

We strongly affirm Irene Khan’s recommendation to abolish the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), a state agency notorious for its role in red-tagging, vilification, and harassment of activists, journalists, and civil society organizations. The NTF-ELCAC has repeatedly used public resources to undermine democratic discourse, often branding critics and community organizers as “terrorists” without due process. Khan also urged a comprehensive review of the Anti-Terrorism Law, which has enabled sweeping surveillance, arbitrary arrests, and the curtailment of fundamental rights. These repressive instruments have emboldened impunity and deepened the culture of fear, especially among progressive formations like KMP.

Earlier this year, it has been reported that the City Prosecutor of San Jose del Monte, Bulacan dismissed all charges against Manalo, citing lack of evidence. Manalo was falsely accused by the military of illegal possession of firearms, explosives, and violations of the Anti-Terrorism Act following the raid on his home. The prosecutor found no credible witnesses or evidence, exposing the case as a fabrication based on a dramatized narrative by state forces. This raid was part of a broader counter-insurgency campaign that terrorized six farming communities in CSJDM and violated the rights of hundreds of residents. Manalo’s case is emblematic of how the Anti-Terrorism Law is routinely abused to target activists, further reinforcing calls by both the UN and the Commission on Human Rights to abolish the NTF-ELCAC and repeal repressive laws used to criminalize dissent.

We welcome the UN Rapporteur’s report and echo its call for the Philippine government to end the systematic attacks on freedom of expression. We demand justice for Ronnie Manalo and all victims of state terror. We call for accountability for those responsible for the illegal raid, and all attacks against farmers who are doubly marginalized due to extreme poverty amid landlessness and lack of government support.

Freedom of expression is not a privilege to be granted by the state—it is a fundamental right that must be defended and fought for at all costs. The criminalization of dissent, under the guise of counter-insurgency, is a grave threat to democracy and human dignity. On this solemn anniversary, we remember the injustices faced by farmers and countless others, and we reaffirm our collective duty to resist tyranny, uphold truth, and fight for genuine land reform and national democracy. ###