Celine ManlimbasogThe National Democratic Front-Eastern Visayas strongly condemns the 19th Infantry Battalion under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Roger Gobway Jr. for attempting to coerce two under-age peasants in Northern Samar to surrender. This is part of their effort to hostage these minors and force their civilian parents to submit to the US-Marcos regime’s surrender campaign.

According to a report by the local unit of the New People’s Army (NPA), troops of the Bravo Company of the 19th IB have been frequented the home of siblings Emman Yanay, 17, and Mercel Yanay, 15, since April 8. The fascist soldiers misidentifying themselves as “Pelenio,” “Bulaw,” and “Ligid-ligid” in Barangay Paco, Las Navas are forcing the two to submit themselves to the battalion headquarters in Barangay Opong, Catubig.

Emman and Mercel are children to peasant Edwar Yanay. Edwar has long been a target of the reactionary government’s surrender campaign, despite bearing no criminal liability. According to the NPA unit, the military’s plan is to hold the minors in detention and force Edwar to surface and surrender. In fear of the fascist soldiers, the young Emman has fled their home in Paco and has yet to come out.

Other members of the Yanay family are also being intimidated and harassed. Fascist troops of the 19th IB are harassing Rope and Rose Ann, children of Edwar’s brother Dandan; and Resi, Edwar and Dandan’s brother. They are all residents of Barangay Paco. Like Edwar, Dandan is a poor peasant being forced by the 19th IB to surrender.

“Yet again, it becomes clear that contrary to their propaganda, it is not the revolutionary movement that breaks up families but the military. This was the same tactic used by the 74th IB to force peasant Gabby Arnesto of Sitio Canonghan, Barangay Osmeña, Palapag, to surrender last year,” said NDF-EV spokesperson Ka Celine Manlimbasog.

“It further exposes the absurdity of the Marcos regime’s surrender campaign. A large part of the peasants the 8th Infantry Division parades as `surrenderees’ do not do so out of their own volition, but because the fascist troops intimidate and harass them into submission,” the spokesperson added.

She also called out the 19th IB for not properly identifying themselves to the barangay residents. “They are fully aware of the cruelty of their acts and are trying to evade accountability.”

The NDF-EV also cited Edmond Cabides Baluyot, whom the 19th IB presented last April 1 as a “rebel leader” arrested on frustrated murder charges, but is actually an ordinary peasant from Barangay Victory, Las Navas. According to the NPA unit, Baluyot had a physical altercation with a 19th IB soldier in protest of the martial law-like policies imposed on their village, such as arbitrary “lockdowns.”

“Baluyot was seething in anger over the very difficult situation that the fascist troops subject him and his fellow residents to. His anger is understandable and justified,” Manlimbasog said. “It is not hard to imagine people like him to seek refuge in the NPA in hopes of attaining justice for these violations.

Manlimbasog added, “The 8th ID repeatedly claims that the NPA is close to defeat but day by day, their trampling upon the rights of ordinary peasants worsen. By negative example, they and the fascist Marcos regime are recruiters of the NPA. Their brutality and injustice will only hasten the strengthening of the people’s army and their own inevitable downfall.”