Two cases of fake encounters were recorded in Mindoro and Negros within just one week, where three individuals were killed by soldiers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP). The deliberate killing of victims by the AFP constitutes a blatant violation of international humanitarian law and the rules of war.

In Negros Occidental, agents of the Crime Investigation and Detection Group apprehended Noynoy Ponteras (Ka Jojo) and Marisa Pobresa (Ka Kim) on March 7, at 7 p.m., in a village in Bacolod City. The next day, they were presented as having been killed in an armed encounter between the AFP and the New People’s Army (NPA) in Sitio Paraiso, Barangay Caduhaan, Cadiz City. According to the NPA-Negros Island (Apolinario Gatmaitan Command), the two were subjected to torture before being deliberately killed.

In Oriental Mindoro, the NPA-Mindoro (Lucio de Guzman Command) refuted claims by the 4th IB that a Red fighter was killed in an “encounter” on March 14 in Sitio Cabuyao, Barangay Panaytayan, Mansalay. According to the people’s army, there was no unit or element of the NPA present in that village at that time. The identity of the victim has yet to be determined.

In both incidents, the AFP claimed to have seized weapons, ammunition, and explosives from the victims.

Arrest. Forces of the 3rd Special Forces Battalion arrested and attempted to hide Lumad Manobo leader Michelle Campos and three of her companions. They were traveling on March 5 at night in Barangay Das-agan, San Francisco, Agusan del Sur. They were only able to speak with human rights groups on March 11 at a hospital in Prosperidad.

Meanwhile, Lumad leader Genasque Enriquez, who was arrested on March 2, remains missing. Campos and Enriquez are well-known advocates for the rights of their community in Lianga, Surigao del Sur against large mining and logging corporations.

Physical assault. Alberto Piaduche was apprehended and beaten by the 94th IB on March 9 at night while riding a motorcycle in Sitio Tuyuman, Barangay Caradio-an, Himamaylan City, on accusations of being a member of the NPA. He was accompanied by a relative at that time. Reports state that both were forcibly loaded into a pick-up truck and taken inside a military headquarters. There, Piaduche was beaten and forced to confess connections with the people’s army. They were released at midnight.