Soldiers under the 31st Civil Military Operations (CMO) visited the San Roque Farmers Association (SRFA) chairman’s house in Barangay Bonbon, Aloguinsan, Cebu on March 11. Seven soldiers harassed and intimidated Pio Del Rosario to stop him from condemning and exposing the militarization and oppression in their community.

The soldiers’ attack on del Rosario followed his days of exposing on social media the presence of soldiers in their barangay. The peasant-leader also denounced the soldiers’ combat operations that disrupted their peaceful living and daily livelihood.

The Kahugpungan sa Nagpakabanang Mag-uuma sa Tersiero District (KNMTD) condemned the soldiers’ latest series of human rights violations. In the past years, the soldiers have been relentlessly harassing them because of the farmers’ fight for their right to land.

In October 2022, the 31st CMO Special Company arrived in the barangay. The soldiers went house-to-house to force the farmers to “clear” their names, in exchange for rice, noodles, slippers and cash.

They threatened farmers and their families with imprisonment unless they sign. They forcibly “surrendered” 17 farmers to dismantle the SRFA. The soldiers even established their puppet farmers’ organization called Sta. Cruz Farmers Association which became Camaren Farmers Association in June 2023. The military and National Task Force-Elcac blatantly ruled over the Barangay Bonbon local government and even the Aloguinsan town officials.

The area covers 168 hectares of land tilled by SRFA that has long been grabbed by the landlord family Gantuanco. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) recognizes the farmers as legitimate claimants to the land.

According to KNMTD, “the military’s relentless attempt to silence del Rosario is a clear violation of his right to expression and an attack on the farmers’ right to till the land.”

In the face of this, SRFA continues to assert their right to land. They demand on expelling the military from their barangay.