Soldiers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) killed three civilians in Negros Occidental and Masbate in recent weeks. Negros Occidental and Masbate are provinces with the first and second highest number of killings under the Marcos regime.

On August 22, the 94th IB brutally murdered a civilian spouse, Marvin Incancion, 37, and Jolina Martinez, 27, in their hut in Sityo Pisok, Barangay Buenavista, Himamaylan City, Negros Occidental. They died of gunshot wounds to the head. Martinez’s face is almost unrecognizable due to the repeated shooting.

On September 1, the 2nd IB killed 30-year-old farmer Tata Bacutin in Barangay Pili, Placer, Masbate at the height of Typhoon Enteng’s devastation. He is the 33rd victim of political assassination in the province.

All victims are falsely being claimed to be Red fighters killed in an encounter.

Food blockade. The weeks-long food blockade of the 80th IB and 70th IB in four areas of Barangay Umiray, General Nakar, Quezon brings extreme hunger and disruption. Soldiers block sacks of rice and other food items from being brought to stores in the community on baseless allegation that they were for the New People’s Army.

Arrest. Police and military abducted Cirila Estrada, a former political prisoner, and Victor Pelayo in Capiz on August 29 then slapped them with trumped-up criminal charges. They were not immediately surfaced had not human rights groups and relatives tracked them down to a police station in Roxas City after two days.

In Quezon, police illegally arrested coconut farmer Roberto Mendoza on September 1 in Barangay Silongin, San Francisco. Mendoza is the father of human rights defender Lieshel Mendoza who is being harassed by the 85th IB. The police also destroyed the wall of his hut after ransacking it.

Harassment. Soldiers of the 3rd Civil-Military Operations Battalion of the 3rd ID illegally took the names of members and officers of the Asosasyon sang Magagmay nga Mangingisda sa Santiago (Association of Small Fishermen in Santiago) in Barangay Santiago, Barotac Viejo, Iloilo on August 18. In Manila, Bayan-Manila spokesperson Enrique Lozada Jr (Teng) reported to the barangay on August 19 how he was subjected to police surveillance.