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The AFP is severely isolated from the people. This was demonstrated when a successful medical and fact-finding mission (MM-FFM) was launched from September 19-22 in Caruppian, Baggao, Cagayan by CAGIMUNGAN, the inter-municipal peasant association in the province.
The MM-FFM which was conducted by more than 10 health professionals, youth activists, church people and members of progressive institutions, was patronized by more than a thousand people. Its aim was to deliver medical services to the people and investigate reported military abuses against armers in the three barangays of Caruppian, Ibulo and Bunugan. On the other hand, a 5th ID-sponsored civic action conducted also in Caruppian on September 15 was spurned by the masses. Along with the MM-FFM, residents of the three barangays issued a petition opposing CAFGU ecruitment and exposing the brutality and destruction wrought by the 41st IB on the barriofolk. All the officials of Barangay Caruppian were among those who signed the petition. On the last day of the activity, a Solidarity Day was held in a school in Caruppian attended by about 300 people. The venue was right beside the barangay hall, which was being used as the headquarters of the 41st IB's Bravo Company. The military was asked to come but only a few watched from outside the school fence. The company commander, Lieutenant Gaffud, hid his face behind a bandana out of shame, when victims of military brutality from the martial law era up to the present poke, bringing tears to their listeners. The soldiers who were watching from the outside slowly slinked away. They felt the depth of the people's loathing. An ordinary soldier who happened to come near the gathering was surrounded by youth activists, who explained the issues to him. After hearing their explanations, he said that he agreed with what the farmers were fighting for because his family, which was also of peasant origin, had the same interests.
The 5th ID was so angry about the boycott of their civac. Very few villagers patronized the civac, even in the very sitio of the barangay where the military headquarters was located, despite the AFP's invitation of villagers from other barrios. Even the band that was brought in and the dance that was organized failed to attract the barriofolk. The few who came hurriedly left because the military went on a drinking spree. It was not surprising for the villagers to boycott the civac. In their experience, the AFP distributes nothing but expired medicines whenever it conducts civac. There were instances when the wrong medicines were given for certain ailments, causing those who took the medications to feel even worse. One day after the MM-FFM, farmer-leaders of CAGIMUNGAN conducted a press conference to publicize the human rights violations documented by the fact-finding mission and the barriofolks' petition to boot out the 41st IB. The military had nothing to say about the cases of military abuse exposed by the mission. 
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