The Pambansang Katipunan ng mga Magbubukid-Eastern Visayas (PKM-EV, or National Alliance of Farmers) condemned the disruption caused by 801st IBde soldiers in several barangays in Gandara, Samar. They have militarized the barangays of Gereganan, Marcos, San Miguel, and nearby communities since November 22.

The 801st IBde justified the influx of soldiers into the communities as a response to reported encounters with the New People’s Army (NPA) in Gandara. This forced more than 100 residents from barangays Marcos and San Miguel to evacuate.

The military also hamleted the said areas and prevented farmers from going to their fields for their livelihood. “The presence of fascist troops is a severe blow to the lives and livelihood of the Samareños,” PKM-EV spokesperson Elias Sumuroy said.

The PKM-EV denounced what it called the “paltry, palliative, and insufficient” aid distributed by the local government of Gandara and the 3rd IB and 8th CMO Battalion to the displaced residents. According to the group, aid distribution also serves as the military’s psywar against the residents.

The PKM-EV said the aid amounts only to loose change compared to the millions stolen and pocketed by officials of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. Officials siphon off funds from deceptive projects such as the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program and the Barangay Development Program of the National Task Force-Elcac.

The group called on Gandara farmers to unite, expose, condemn, and resist the 801st Brigade’s fascist terrorism in their area. “There is no other path to achieve genuine peace and development except through people’s war,” Ka Elias said.

The PKM-EV outrightly rejected 801st IBde Commander Brig. Gen. Arlino Sendaydiego’s appeal for the NPA Red fighters to surrender to the government. “The poverty and fascism brought by the 801st IBde in the countryside are the reasons they continue to bear arms and carry on with the revolution,” Ka Elias said.

Additionally, the group declared that they are honored to have fellow farmers who decided to be NPA members. “The peasant masses will continue to support the NPA and advance the people’s democratic revolution that truly promotes their welfare and interests,” Ka Elias said.

Meanwhile, Ang Bayan still awaits an NPA-Eastern Visayas (Efren Martires Command) official report regarding the 801st IBde’s claim that a Red fighter was killed in the Gandara clashes.