State forces arrested five activists one after another during the past weeks.

Combined military and police forces last July 28 arrested Makabayan-Bicol coordinator and former Bayan Muna nominee Marites Pielago based on trumped up charges of murder and frustrated murder. State forces laid siege on the Dr. Nilo O. Roa Memorial Foundation Hospital in Barangay San Francisco, Naga City where Pielago was undergoing medical treatment.

Two Lumad brothers were arrested based on a trumped up case of human trafficking on the day of Ferdinand Marcos Jr’s State of the Nation Address (SONA) last July 25. The police arrested Bakwit School students Mawing and Ismael Pangadas after the counter-SONA rally at the Freedom Park in Roxas, Davao City.
Meanwhile, police elements arrested last July 22 farmer Gina Montenegro based on a trumped up charges of rebellion in Purok 3, Hinapuyan, Carmen, Surigao del Sur.

Last July 15, elements of the state also arrested Anakpawis Partylist member Arjay Verdera in Bulusan, Sorsogon. The police made it appear that a caliber .38 pistol and ammunitions were seized from him.

Forced “surrender”. Elements of the 15th IB and the NTF-Elcac deceived and forced members of associations in Cauayan, Negros Occidental to “surrender” last July 7-8. Among those ordered to show up were the Caliling Small Agricultural Farm Workers Association, Tuyom Farmers Association, Small Farmers of Manuling, Paghiliusa sang mga Mangingisda sa Lugway at Paghiliusa sang Mangingisda sa Guiljungan, local fisherfolk organizations.

Collaborating with the local government, the military made it appear that the victims will be awarded livelihood programs but were instead made to surrender as Red fighters.

Eviction. The 2nd IB, in collusion with local village officials, evicted more than 94 peasant families who have been tilling a 550-hectare agricultural land forming part of the 1,807-hectare “ranch” handed over to them by Masbate governor Antonio Kho.

The land they have been tilling covers the villages of Cabungahan, Calapayan and Villaluna in Cawayan. These are agricultural lands, but misdeclared as cattle ranches in order to circumvent agrarian reform.