CPP/NPA-Negros Island ROC: AFP Central Command condemned for countryside bombing

Propaganda statement posted to the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) Website (Jun 21, 2021): AFP Central Command condemned for countryside bombing

JUANITO MAGBANUA

SPOKESPERSON

NEGROS ISLAND REGIONAL OPERATIONAL COMMAND (APOLINARIO GATMAITAN COMMAND)

NEW PEOPLE'S ARMY

JUNE 21, 2021

The New People’s Army (NPA) in Negros Island condemned the 3rd Infantry Division of the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ Central Command for shelling the countrysides of Himamaylan City and Binalbagan using a howitzer canon and mortar around 10:00 in the morning to 2:00 in the afternoon last June 9, 2021 that sowed fear among residents resulting to their temporary evacuation and the dislocation of their livelihood.

“Due to poverty and problems caused by the deadly COVID-19, the people calls for help to provide their daily needs like food but they received mortar and canyon shells instead,” said Ka Juanito Magbanua, spokesperson of the Apolinario Gatmaitan Command (AGC) of NPA Negros.

“More painful is that they became victims of human rights violations during military combat operations in the countryside,” Magbanua added.

The AGC-NPA denounced as well the torture and murder of indigenous people’s (tumandok) tribe member Erming Pacheco at Sitio Dala-upon, Brgy. Carabalan, Himamaylan City claiming that the military captured Pacheco from his home after the encounter between the 62nd IB and an NPA unit on June 9.

According to Magbanua, Pacheco was taken to the encounter site and was shot to death.

“He was hog-tied to a bamboo and was treated like a pig. The military then insisted that he was an NPA member killed during a second encounter,” said Magbanua.

The AGC-NPA in their statement also mentioned that there were more victims of military violence and that farm animals were seized and slaughtered.

Waste of people’s funds

Magbanua accused the Duterte regime for squandering millions of funds for massive military operations and bombings in the countryside while the people are facing a year-long tiempo muerto (dead season), widespread poverty and hunger.

He recounted what happened to tumandoks in Panay who were said to have been killed ala-Sauron.

“Many indigenous people’s lives were lost, they were driven away from their farm lands in the interests of big business,” he said.###

https://cpp.ph/statements/afp-central-command-condemned-for-countryside-bombing/