Amid widespread hunger and poverty, Department of Defense secretary Gilbert Teodoro announced yesterday the plan of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to buy missiles and 40 war planes at the cost of ₱300-₱400 billion from American arms companies and their subsidiaries.

Currently, the AFP reportedly has 224 fighter jets, being used in indiscriminate bombings of forests and civilian communities in the AFP’s obsession to “crush” the revolutionary movement.

Ang Bayan recorded at least 60 cases of bombing, shelling and strafing from July 2022 to June 2024. Thirty-two of these were aerial bombings including at least four large bombs using FA-50s, Super Tucanos and attack helicopters.

The highest number of bombings and strafings were recorded in Bukidnon, followed by Northern Samar, Abra, Kalinga, Cagayan and Aurora. There were also bombings in Oriental Mindoro, Western Samar, Misamis Oriental, Apayao, Surigao del Sur, Agusan del Norte, Iloilo, Negros Occidental, Quezon and Camarines Sur, Nueva Vizcaya, Agusan del Sur, Zamboanga del Norte, Negros Oriental, Masbate and Samar.

In all cases, bombings were accompanied by shelling and extensive and prolonged military combat operations that are marked by widespread abuses and violations of rights of civilians.