Even during the month designated to uphold International Humanitarian Law (IHL), the Marcos Jr. regime continues to carry out militarist policies that violate basic human rights and endanger the lives of peasants and indigenous peoples in Southern Tagalog. The government’s blatant disregard for IHL is evident in the persistent state-sponsored violence, as documented by ongoing fact-finding missions.
In San Jose, Occidental Mindoro, residents of Barangay Naibuan are subjected to intensified military presence under the 4th Infantry Battalion. The killing of civilian Juan Sumiling, who has not yet been afforded a proper burial, remains unresolved. Residents report a de facto martial law situation as local civilian authorities have ceded governance to the military, leading to a climate of fear and repression.
In Tagkawayan, Quezon, aerial bombings and ground operations were launched in Barangay Maguibuay following armed encounters between the 16th IB and the New People’s Army. Although one alleged NPA member was killed, it is the civilian population that bears the brunt. Farming activities have been disrupted and residents live under fear, in violation of IHL provisions that explicitly protect civilians and their means of survival.
In Tanay, Rizal, indigenous Dumagat families continue to be harassed by the 2nd Infantry Division. Soldiers have illegally entered homes, issued death threats, and warned communities against joining mass actions. These threats recall the trauma of the Bloody Sunday Massacre, where Dumagat leaders Randy and Puroy dela Cruz were murdered in 2021. The military’s presence remains heavy, enforcing constant surveillance and intimidation.
These incidents form part of a systematic pattern of state terror across the region. Under the guise of counterinsurgency, the state—through the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC)—has escalated repression against communities instead of addressing their legitimate socio-economic demands. Vice President Sara Duterte, who leads this task force, continues to direct public funds toward militarization while social services remain neglected. Her complicity in these violations underscores growing demands for accountability and even impeachment.
KMP stands in strong condemnation of these violations of International Humanitarian Law and basic human rights. We demand for:
> Justice for all victims of military aggression;
> The immediate pullout of combat troops from civilian communities;
> The rechanneling of public funds toward social services, agricultural development, education, and health;
> The resumption of GRP-NDFP peace talks, based on addressing the root causes of armed conflict—landlessness, poverty, and inequality.
The continuing military operations in Mindoro, Quezon, and Rizal—even during IHL Month—prove that this regime does not respect any law or moral obligation. Its fascism knows no bounds. But the peasantry and indigenous peoples of Southern Tagalog will not yield. We will resist repression, demand justice, and fight for genuine peace and land reform.
Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP)
KASAMA-Timog Katagalugan
updates from the peasant movement of the Philippines 