A fact-finding mission launched on August 20 in San Jose Del Monte City, Bulacan confirmed the 80th IB’s human rights violations against residents. These cases include encampment in civilian communities, forced disaffialition from local organizations, house-to-house raids by armed soldiers, terrorist-tagging, profiling and threats of arrest.

The 30-person delegation consisted of church people, human rights defenders, farmers’ rights advocates, cultural workers, and other organizations headed to Barangay Tungkong Mangga, one of the areas where these violations were committed. They were accompanied by representatives from the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) Region 3.

The intensified militarization of the city’s barangays began when 80th IB soldiers and police raided and ransacked the house of Ronnie Manalo, Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas general secretary and Tanggol Magsasaka spokesperson, in Barangay San Roque on June 18. State forces forcibly entered Manalo’s house when no one was there. The military and police claimed having found an M16 rifle, a shotgun, grenades, laptops, and subversive documents.

After this, terror spread to its neighboring barangays. Encamped in many areas, the 80th IB practically enforced a military encirclement on the farming communities in four barangays of the city. This affected 400 families and farmers who supply vegetables to the Bagsakan program at the farmer’s market in Quezon City.

The 80th IB commanders themselves revealed that the soldiers are in the area to conduct “intelligence gathering” and provide “visible security.” But the farmers themselves said the soldiers are not providing security but fear, especially while Red-tagging their organizations and accusing them of being terrorists.

On August 13, the Alyansa ng Magbubukid sa Bulacan (AMB) held a dialogue with the SJDM City Mayor’s Office. They discussed the 80th IB’s military operation in the farming communities, as well as the issue of Greggy Araneta II’s landgrabbing. Farmers assert that their organizations, which they formed to defend their rights to land, livelihood, and shelter, are legal and legitimate. They called for the soldiers to be expelled from their community.