A farmer was kiled and 16 others were arbitrarily arrested by elements of the Armed Forces of the Philippines in the past few weeks.

Killing. Elements of the 85th IB killed copra farmer and peasant leader Armando Buisan in Barangay Santa Maria, Catanauan, Quezon on November 14. Buisan, 60, was a resident of Sitio Luyahan, Barangay Magsaysay, General Luna and served as the chairperson of the Coco Levy Fund Ibalik sa Amin in the said town.

Buisan was at the forefront of the struggle of copra farmers for nearly three decades. Before the killing, his organization demanded an increase in the farmgate price of copra, and emergency aid from the government following the series of typhoons which hit the Bondoc Peninsula.

Strafing and arrest. Operating troopers of the 58th IB indiscriminately strafed and arrested six farmers, including three minors, at Sitio Lanesehon, Barangay Bunal, Salay, Misamis Oriental on November 1.

The victims were on their way to their farm when they were strafed by the soldiers. The victims were detained at a military camp in the said village. In the same evening, 58th IB co­mman­der Lt. Col. Can­atoy coerced the vic­tims to sign a docu­ment stating that they were not maltreated by the soldiers. The victims refused to do so.

In the same evening, another civilian was reportedly mauled by soldiers in Barangay Tingalan, Opol in the same province.

In Leyte, soldiers of the 93rd IB and 802nd Brigade arrested seven siblings at Sitio Utap, Barangay Canlampay, Carigara on November 13. Five of the victims are minors and one was sick. They were nabbed when soldiers raided their house. Their mother, Nora Dionelda, was arrested just because she was suspected of being a wife of a Red fighter. They were detained overnight along with 11 other male residents. Dionelda and his eldest son Ernie are still under detention.

In Negros Occidental, two farmers and members of Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas were arrested by the 94th IB at Sitio Basak, Barangay Buenavista, Himamaylan City on November 19. They were accused of being members of the Red army and slapped with trumped up charges of illegal possession of firearms. They are currently detained at the Himamamaylan City Police Station.

Meanwhile, 20 youth volunteers and members of Anakbayan were arrested by police elements in Vente Reales, Valenzuela City on November 17. They were arrested while conducting a feeding program for purportedly violating lockdown protocols.