San Roque Farmers’ Association (SRFA) members condemned the 31st Civil Military Operation (CMO) for the forced and sly entry and encampment of approximately 40 soldiers at a slaughterhouse in Sitio Camaren, Barangay Bonbon, Aloguinsan, Cebu on December 4. The facility is located in farms lands covering 168 hectares, which are currently being seized by the Gantuanco family.

Despite the SRFA’s opposition to military encampment in public facilities, the unit remained in the area. The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) have previously harassed the farmers and encamped in the area.

According to the Kahugpongan sa Nagpakabanang mga Mag-uuma sa Tersero Distrito-Cebu, in August 2011, police and soldiers violently dispersed the protests and collective action of farmers and arrested 39 SRFA farmer leaders and supporters who were opposing the seizure of their cultivated land in Aloguinsan.

Despite the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) recognizing the farmers as legitimate cultivators of the land, soldiers and police responded with violence. In the late 1990s, the farmers were given cadastral claim certificates.

The Gantuanco family has been colluding with AFP mercenary soldiers to harass the farmers in the last decade farmers starting 2013. The attacks on the SRFA intensified in October 2022 when the 31st CMO Special Company arrived in the barangay and conducted home visits, distributing rice, noodles, slippers, and money if farmers “clear” their names to signify they did not support the New People’s Army (NPA).

Farmers and families were threatened with imprisonment if they did not sign. At that time, 17 farmers were forced to “surrender” to dismantle the SRFA. The soldiers also established their controlled farmers’ organization called Sta. Cruz Farmers Association, which later became the Camaren Farmers Association in June 2023, replacing the SRFA. The military and the National Task Force-Elcac overtly controlled the Barangay Bonbon local government and even the officials of Aloguinsan.

To this day, the 31st CMO Special Company continues to pressure SRFA farmers to surrender to the government under the NTF-Elcac’s bogus and corrupt Balik-Loob (reintegration) program.

“The forced entry into the [slaughterhouse] signals more human rights violations against farmers. Moreover, the military, being part of joint task forces, itself stated that they will not leave until the [association] submits to the military,” the SRFA said.

In light of this, the SRFA strongly calls on the farmers and local government to immediately evict the military from the community. The rights of farmers to resist exploitative and oppressive landowners and military instruments like the 31st CMO must be respected.

The Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas and its local chapter in Cebu have expressed support for the SRFA’s struggle.