The Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan)-Manila strongly condemned the militarization, Red-tagging, and harassment perpetrated by the 11th and 12th Civil-Military Operations Battalions (CMOBn) in the community of Aroma, Barangay 105, Tondo, Manila.

This week, representatives from a fake organization called Aroma para sa Kapayapaan, Kalusugan, Kabuhayan, at Kaunlaran (A4K) approached several members of Sama-sama para sa Maayos na Tahanan at Hanapbuhay (SMTH) to harass and intimidate them. A4K is led by a certain Remedios Cabello.

Cabello is a former member of SMTH who was expelled by the organization due to fund mismanagement issues. Today, she is being used to spearhead operations aimed at destroying the legitimate organization of residents and replacing it with a group that serves military interests.

According to SMTH members, residents were promised housing or money and were offered ₱70,000 in exchange for signing and taking an oath as “surrenderers.” A specific day was even set for the surrender. Despite intense pressure, residents chose not to attend.

According to Bayan-Manila, the residents’ rejection of A4K’s deception shows that the collective stand of the people cannot be bought or intimidated. It added that militarization does not bring peace. Weaponizing poverty to push residents into programs that do not address their demands is a blatant violation of their dignity, rights, and freedom to organize.

Such operations are nothing new to Manileños. Since the 11th and 12th CMOBn were deployed to the city in 2022, residents have relentlessly resisted their presence. Following a formal complaint filed by SMTH with the Commission on Human Rights in 2024 and continuous collective community action, military operations in Aroma were forced to retreat. The re-emergence of A4K is a clear attempt to bring back the exact same operations under a different guise, the group explained.

Bayan-Manila calls on all citizens, mass organizations, human rights defenders, and the media to expose and oppose the militarization of civilian communities. The use of intimidation, deception, and harassment should not be allowed against the poor who continue to fight for housing, livelihood, and other basic rights.