Killings, arrests and attacks are prevalent even without ATB yet

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Two civilians were killed and seven others were arrested by state forces in the past two weeks.

Suspected state agents gunned down Sang­gu­ni­an Ka­ba­ta­an (SK) councilor Ha­rold Tab­lazan at Sit­io Pas­si, Ba­ra­ngay Mayang, Tu­bu­ngan, Iloi­lo last June 20. Tablazan was a former member of the Fe­de­ra­ti­on of Iloi­lo Far­mers Asso­cia­ti­on and is currently working in the island. His companion, SK chairman Glenn Bun­da, was killed along with him.

In Neg­ros Occi­den­tal, joint elements of the police and 79th IB illegally arrested activist Gas­par Davao last June 12 at a checkpoint in Ba­ra­ngay Ca­du­ha-an, Ca­diz City. The police claimed the victim was found positive of Covid-19. The police planted a grenade in the victim’s bag while he was being detained. Davao is an organizer of the Na­tio­nal Fe­de­ra­ti­on of Su­gar Wor­kers and has long been tagged by the military as a supporter of the New People’s Army (NPA). He was presented by the AFP before the media as an “NPA surrenderee.”
In Gonza­ga, Ca­ga­yan, joint elements of the Ma­ri­ne Bat­ta­li­on Lan­ding Team 10 and Ca­ga­yan PNP Provincial Mo­bi­le Force Com­pany arrested peasants Ro­lan­do Re­yes, 40, and Ranchi Tub­ban, 19, last June 10. They were nabbed at a checkpoint in Centro Gonza­ga. Troopers planted a grenade inside the victims’ van while inspecting it. The victims were on their way home from ushering to the next town stranded passengers.

On June 12 in North Cotabato, elements of the PNP, 73rd IB and 39th IB abducted Lumad Mong­kel Taca­lan, 66, and his two children. The Tacalans were apprehended outside the Min­da­nao Interfaith Servi­ces Foun­da­ti­on Incor­po­ra­ted in Ba­ra­ng­ay Ki­san­te, Ma­ki­la­la, North Co­ta­ba­to. They were detained by the 39th IB before being surfaced in June 17.

On June 13, six armed state agents also abducted Ele­na Tija­mo at her house in Bara­ngay Kampingganon, Bantayan, Ce­bu. She is coordinator of the Far­mers Deve­lop­ment Cen­ter (Far­dec) sus­tai­nab­le agricul­tu­re program. She is also a member of the Inter­na­tio­nal Asso­cia­ti­on of Wo­men in Ra­dio and Te­levi­si­on Phi­lip­pi­nes which operates the Ra­dio Sug­bua­non. She is yet to be surfaced by the abductors.

Meanwhile, three farmers were attacked by soldiers last June 15 at around 5:00 a.m. in Tayasan, Negros Oriental. Victims, Do­doy Pe­rez, 51, Qui­ting Amad, and an unindentified person, are all residents of Barangay Laguit. Soldiers mauled Perez and his companion, while Amad was stabbed by six unidentified men who were with the soldiers.

Barangay Tayasan residents are actively opposing the entry of a destructive mining company in the area. The company is set to operate in Ba­say, Ayu­ngon, Bin­doy, Ji­ma­la­lud, La Li­ber­tad and Gui­hul­ngan. The 11th IB was redeployed in the province in June 2019 particularly to suppress the residence struggle against the said project.

Killings, arrests and attacks are prevalent even without ATB yet