Karapatan-Southern Tagalog (ST) traveled to Abra de Ilog, Occidental Mindoro to carry out a humanitarian mission to investigate the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP)’s aerial bombing and strafing on January 1 in Barangay Cabacao. The humanitarian mission began on January 3 and continues up to date.

The bombing and strafing in Barangay Cabacao on January 1 occurred at around 9 a.m. Videos and posts about the incident spread on Facebook, revealing the terror and anxiety in the voices of residents living near the site.

According to the National Democratic Front (NDF)-Mindoro, the victims of the incident included a young researcher named Jerlyn Rose Doydora. She died from her illness triggered by the intense bombing and strafing. Aside from Doydora’s ordeal, NDF-Mindoro reported that another young student remains missing after being separated during the AFP attack.

The two were among the youths who expressed their desire to interview indigenous peoples and farmers in Mindoro and the Red fighters of the New People’s Army (NPA). They wanted to learn about the concrete situation of the masses, the causes of the armed conflict, and the real solution to achieve peace. NDF-Mindoro facilitated receiving the visitors in Abra de Ilog before the new year.

The humanitarian mission primarily aimed to locate Doydora’s body, search for the other youth, and investigate the condition of the Mindoreños affected by the bombing and strafing. Upon arriving in Abra de Ilog, Karapatan-ST immediately approached the local government to formally launch the humanitarian mission.

The team then went to the evacuation center at Cabacao High School, where displaced indigenous peoples and farmers were taking refuge. Police officers were stationed at the school, which frighten the evacuees.

Despite Karapatan-ST’s insistence on conducting an independent investigation, barangay personnel kept asserting that the indigenous peoples were in good condition and that there were allegedly no cases of military abuse. The team was forbidden to investigate within the school.

That same day, the group also visited funeral homes in Abra de Ilog and nearby areas to search for Doydora’s body. The team also went to the Municipal Police Station of Abra de Ilog to inquire, but the police reportedly had no information about Doydora’s body or the other missing youth.

By nighttime, soldiers spread threats warning people not to allow the Karapatan-ST humanitarian team entry into Mindoro’s churches. “The church is a refuge for the people—a hall that should remain open to everyone in need of shelter; above all, it is a Zone of Peace that must not be disturbed by the military,” the group stated.

On January 4, Karapatan-ST reported continuing surveillance by the police and military of their humanitarian mission. “The military clearly fears the presence of the humanitarian team which only aims to uncover and expose the truth. This shows that the AFP-PNP are hiding something and are desperately trying to obstruct the humanitarian mission,” the group said.

The humanitarian mission of Karapatan-ST will continue in the coming days. Other groups and mass leaders are expected to join the mission soon.