Human rights group September 21 Movement-South Negros condemned the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) soldiers for intimidating the Response couple in Barangay Camansi, Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental on January 21. Soldiers accuse the couple of having links with the New People’s Army (NPA) in Negros Island.

According to the group, two men who identified themselves as from the military “task force” in the city spoke to Soriano Response, a barangay tanod and PAMANGGAS CA (Asosasyon sang Mangunguma kag Mamumugon sa Salong Kag Camansi) leader, while he was securing the barangay hall. They allegedly requested a “dialogue” with Response and his wife to clarify allegations that they had links with the people’s army.

They accused Response’s wife of “cooking food” for NPA Red fighters on January 17. Soriano immediately denied it and said that his wife did no such thing.

“The incident terrorized the couple because they were accused of being NPA supporters,” according to the September 21 Movement-South Negros. The group also shared that the couple immediately reported to the barangay to record the incident.

It can be recalled that in the last quarter of 2024, the AFP used a similar allegation against Alaiza Lemita to charge him with “terrorism financing” or violation of RA 10168 or The Terrorism Financing Prevention and Suppression Act of 2012. In this case, Lemita is being accused of allegedly giving two sacks of cooked rice, pork adobo, and ₱50,000.00 to surviving NPA members on March 10, 2017 in Barangay Banilad, Nasugbu, Batangas.

Lemita is the sister of Chai Evangelista— one of the nine activists, labor leaders, and organizers killed by police in Southern Tagalog in 2021 in what is now called the “Bloody Sunday Massacre.”