Employing the forces of the 89th IB, 48th IB, 72nd DRC and police, the AFP’s 10th ID has indiscriminately bombed and shelled several Bukidnon towns.

In a recent report, Ka Malem Mabini, spokesperson of the New People’s Army in the North Central Mindanao Region, said at least four bombing incidents were recorded from December 2023 to February.

The latest was the 13 rounds of indiscriminate shelling of the mountainous areas bordering San Fernando, Quezon and Valencia City on February 23 from 2-5 pm. Earlier, the AFP also shelled the same area 13 times, from 3 to 7 am on February 21.

The shelling resulted in widespread unrest and damage to the livelihood of farmers living around and at the foot of the mountains. Afraid of being hit by bombs or accused by the military as being members or supporters of the NPA, they did not go to harvest their bananas, corn, hemp and other products from their farms.

“There was no encounter between the NPA and the terrorist AFP in the area at that time,” Ka Malem clarified. “The fascists aim only to terrorize the people whom they suspect are still supporting the NPA.”

The people’s army unit also received a report that four civilian residents of Purok 3, Kauswagan, Little Baguio in the town of San Fernando were forcibly used as guides to find the NPA “camp” near their farms. The AFP detained them for four days before releasing them.

“These incidents form part of the relentless focused military operation or FMO that started in December 2023 where there were three consecutive encounters between the NPA and the AFP in Barangay Lipa, Quezon and Sityo Minalong, Kahusayan, in town of Kitaotao,” according to Ka Malem.

On January 6, the military dropped bombs using Super Tucano warplanes and MD520 helicopters at the adjacent barangays of Minongan, Kawayan and Santa Filomena, all in Quezon town. It also shelled the area with 105mm howitzers.

No Red fighter was hit in this shelling, and the NPA unit in the area at the time retreated safely. On the other hand, the residents of the aforementioned barangays suffered severe trauma because the bombs exploded near their community.