The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) deployed dozens of soldiers in the neighboring barangays of Baang, Sawmill, Barag and Mapuyo in the town of Mobo, Masbate on January 27 to hunt down and force a civilian named Sony Diamos to “surrender.” Residents reported that the military has long been pressuring Diamos to “surrender” but had been refused as Diamos believes he has no reason to do so.

New People’s Army (NPA)-Masbate spokesperson Ka Luz del Mar refuted the military’s allegation that Diamos was a Red fighter. She said Diamos has been a victim of the AFP’s Retooled Community Support Program’s (RCSP) forced “surrender” campaign in recent years.

Fascists hunted Diamos, going as far as summarily killing his brother Danny in Sityo Imbudo, Barangay Jamorawon, Milagros in 2021. The soldiers mistook him for Sony.

“They know that surrendering to the military will not ensure their safety,” added Ka Luz. In recent years, many of the “surrenderees” have fallen victims to fascist AFP killings and falsely claimed that they were killed in a encounter.

The Filminera-Masbate Gold Project’s mining operation will cover the cluster of barangays in the towns of Mobo, Uson and Milagros that the AFP has subjected to militarization. “The military’s scouring forces the farmers’ eviction from their farmlands. They threaten those who do not obey. Worse, they kill those who fight to protect their lives and livelihood,” according to Ka Luz.

This state violence and terrorism she said is what drives the Masbateño masses to take up arms and serve as NPA-Masbate fighters to defend their rights and fellow laborers.