The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) condemns the Duterte regime and its armed forces and agents for the killing spree in Northern Samar and Iloilo, June 20, that resulted in the deaths of four civilians and wounding of three others. Three of those killed were peasants and another was a local youth leader.

According to Marco L. Valbuena, Information Officer, Communist Party of the Philippines, “The killing spree clearly aims to terrorize the peasant masses amid growing political and socioeconomic unrest across the country. These were perpetrated at a time that the Duterte fascist regime is fast-tracking the enactment of the fascist Anti-Terror Bill. It forms part of the efforts of the regime to establish its unquestioned military and police powers under its undeclared martial law rule.”

On Saturday, farmers Zaldy Meraya and Bebe Tobino were killed by joint elements of the 20th IB and the Northern Samar Police Mobile Force Company. At around 10 a.m., soldiers and police indiscriminately strafed their hut in Barangay Bagacay, Palapag, Northern Samar. Meraya's wife and two children were injured in the shooting. Later that evening, Harold Tablazon and Glenn Bunda were ambushed and killed by suspected state agents at Sitio Passi, Barangay Mayang in Tubungan town, Iloilo province. Tablazon was a member of the Federation of Iloilo Farmers Association, an affiliate of the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas. Bunda, was Sangguniang Kabataan Chairman in their village. Both worked as solar panel installers.

“The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and Philippine National Police (PNP) have recently been stepping up its attacks against rural communities. The attacks have heightened specifically in Samar and Bicol marked by rising numbers of killings and incidents of massacres,” states Valbuena.

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