The 9th ID’s 96th Military Intelligence Company (MICO) personnel abducted and forced a resident and farmer into a van in Barangay Cabangcalan, Placer, Masbate on March 29 at 6:00 in the morning. The victim was identified as Junior Tuling, 56 years old.

PKM-Masbate condemned the 9th ID for this heinous crime against the civilian population of Barangay Cabangcalan. The group added that the abduction is the soldiers’ cowardly retaliatory attack following the NPA’s four tactical offensives in March.

“The military usually redirects their frustration toward ordinary civilians whenever they fail in their operations against the NPA,” the group stated.

Tuling’s family and relatives called for help to locate his whereabouts. They demanded accountability for the military’s brutality and justice for the victim.

PKM-Masbate expressed support for Tuling’s family and other victims of human rights violations and breaches of international humanitarian law by soldiers. It also urged local barangay officials to act and take steps to locate the victim and ensure his safety.

Tuling was earlier a victim of the military’s forced surrender. In 2021, the soldiers forced Tuling’s surrender at the height of their Retooled Community Support Program (RCSP) in Masbate. According to the Pambansang Katipunan ng mga Magbubukid (PKM)-Masbate, soldiers are harassing many “surrenderers” like Tuling when they refused to act as military intelligence assets or join the CAFGU.

“The military abducts [them], and worse, dump them dead later. Usually, the military falsely claims them New People’s Army (NPA) members who died in encounters,” explained PKM-Masbate.

Meanwhile, in a separate incident on March 27, 96th MICO personnel assaulted Totong Cuyos, a farmer and resident of Barangay Cabrera, Dimasalang.

Additionally, in Masbate’s second district are reportedly rampant cases where the military seized civilian property and then blaming the people’s army. NPA-Masbate denied the allegations stating this as a military tactic to discredit the NPA and to justify deploying more troops in the area.