Last February 8, counterinsurgency operating troops belonging to the Philippine Army’s 20th Infantry Battalion fired their weapons indiscriminately on a group of peasants tending their coconut kiln (koprahan) in Barangay Roxas, Catubig, Northern Samar. Two children, including a 12-year old, Grade 6 student, were killed by soldiers. Another child was wounded.

The soldiers were part of a 30-man unit of the 20th IB that was conducting operations against a unit of the New People’s Army (NPA) in the area. The indiscriminate firing against the peasants was an act of retaliation after another smaller team of the 20th IB lost two men in an NPA ambush earlier that day.

The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) condemns in the strongest terms the 20th IB for the killing of the two children and the indiscriminate firing of weapons against civilians. The attack against the peasants in Catubig are gross violations of the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL).

The killing of children by the 20th IB last February 8 is the latest fascist crime of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP). The indiscriminate firing against peasants is part of the AFP’s heightening attacks against peasants in its increasingly brutal war in the rural areas.

These acts of war against civilian’s form part of the Duterte regime’s drive to terrorize the people and suppress their resistance to defend their land and fight the military’s occupation of their communities to allow the encroachment of mining companies and plantations. The attacks are set to further rise as the regime intensifies its futile war to crush the people’s armed revolution.

The NPA must take action to attain justice for the children killed by soldiers in Catubig, and all victims of the AFP’s war of suppression.

The regime’s brutal attacks against civilians are succeeding only in stoking the people’s outrage and rousing them to wage greater resistance. More and more people are being roused to join the NPA and wage armed struggle to defend the people against the fascists and advance the cause of national and social liberation.

#Philippines #ArmedForcesOfThePhilippines #CommunistPartyOfThePhilippinesCPP #Asia

On May 10 the Communist Party of the Philippines condemned the murder of five peasants by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP), in Sorsogon province.

According to the statement, “The Party denounces the AFP and PNP for the killing of Jeric Vuno, Jerry Palanca, Robert Villafuerte, Raymundo Tañada and Jaime Tañada, who were all relatives and residents of Barangay Dolos. The defenseless victims were forcibly taken from their homes at around 5 a.m. last May 8, brought to a nearby river and summarily executed.”

The military has attempted to justify the killings, claiming those killed were members of the communist-led New People’s Army.

The Communist Party of the Philippines responds, “This is a completely trumped-up story because, as a matter of fact, there was no New People’s Army unit in the village when the massacre was carried out.”

#Philippines #OppressedNationalities #Asia #PeoplesStruggles #CommunistPartyOfThePhilippines #Antifascism #ArmedForcesOfThePhilippines #PhilippineNationalPolice

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following June 4 statement from the militant trade union Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU).

Court decision on Maga's case, unjust, anti-union

We protest the guilty verdict handed down by the San Mateo Regional Trial Court against trade unionist and political prisoner Maoj Maga. He was convicted yesterday on the case of illegal possession of firearms and was sentenced to prison for a minimum of eight years and one day.

The court’s decision is biased against trade unionists and is leaning towards the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippines National Police (PNP). It serves their objective of preventing key leaders and organizers of the militant trade union Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) and PISTON from organizing workers to assert their demands.

The charges laid against Maga were baseless. The evidence was planted. The real criminals here are the police who illegally arrested Maga and came out with false testimonies. They blatantly lied in their testimonies and the court based its decision only on these lies, and nothing more. Maga’s basic rights to liberty and due process were grossly violated.

The police lied, and by affirming their lies, the court also committed a serious crime and violated the law, apart from violating Maga's rights.

The decision to keep Maga detained comes timely when the issue of banning provincial buses, phasing out of jeepneys, and implementing route rationalization and fleet management are about to spark public outrage.

Months before his arrest in February 2018, Maga was one of the leading organizers of public utility drivers who conducted a series of transport strikes against the phasing out of jeepneys.

The Duterte government is afraid that by releasing Maga, drivers and commuters will have a young and vibrant organizer back to work.

We in the labor movement will not stop fighting for Maoj Maga's release. He should not be punished for being a trade union organizer.

The court should review its decision and let truth and justice prevail.

Free Maoj Maga! Free all political prisoners!

#Philippines #InJusticeSystem #Labor #Asia #PeoplesStruggles #PoliticalPrisoner #PoliticalPrisoners #KilusangMayoUno #ArmedForcesOfThePhilippines

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following December 17 statement from the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP)

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) suffered at least 14 casualties in more than two weeks of all-out military offensive and massive bombardment at the height of preparations for Christmas and New Year holidays in the boundaries of Misamis Oriental, Bukidnon and Agusan del Sur provinces, according to initial reports from field commands of the New People’s Army.

“After declaring it will not observe a ceasefire this holiday season, the AFP ordered its forces to go on an all-out offensive and massive bombardment in the vain hope of stopping the people to gather in the NPA guerrilla zones to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP),” said the CPP.

According to NPA-Northcentral Mindanao Spokesman Malem Mabini, the AFP mobilized more than 400 combat troops from the 8th Infantry Battalion (IB), the 58th IB, Charlie Company of the 4th ID, the 4th Division Reconnaisance Company, the Special Action Forces, Scout Rangers at local CAFGU units. From December 2 to December 14, at least 43 6×6 military trucks roared into rural villages to transport enemy soldiers into the battle zone.

“By mounting non-stop combat operations and incessant shelling and bombing, however, the AFP is

spoiling the peace and holiday preparations of the residents in the community. Also, they have doused on the high hopes of their foot soldiers to have a brief respite during the holidays to be with their families,” said the CPP.

The AFP conducted almost daily artillery shelling and aerial bombardment using MD-520 attack helicopters which traumatized civilian residents in the area. Soldiers pounded the area with at least 14 rounds of artillery from 105 Howitzers on the evening of December 7, 11 rounds on December 8, scores of rockets from MD-520, 15 rounds of artillery on December 12, 11 rounds of artillery on the evening of December 13, and scores of rockets fired from attack helicopters from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on December 16.

As a result, the livelihood of Lumad residents in the area has been severely affected especially in Sitio Lakbangan and Sitio Kalhaan in Barangay Minalwang, Claveria, Misamis Oriental, as well as in Barangays Kalabugao, Bulonay and Hagpa in Impasug-ong, Bukidnon and in Sitio Kulili, Barangay San Vicente, Esperanza, Agusan del Sur.

Going on active defense posture, local NPA units in the area carried out guerrilla strikes resulting in at least four encounters with operating troops of AFP over the past few days. On December 6, an encounter broke out in Barangay Minalwang, while the three other encounters happened in Barangay Mahagwa on December 7, 8 and 13.

AFP troops suffered at least 14 casualties. Based on reports of local residents, the enemy brought out two cadavers in Barangay Jagpa on December 7, 2018. At midnight, several ambulances entered Barangay Calabugao to pick up at least 12 wounded soldiers.

#Philippines #PeoplesStruggles #CommunistPartyOfThePhilippines #ArmedForcesOfThePhilippines #Asia