The Apolinario Gatmaitan Command-New People’s Army Negros Island Regional Operations Command (AGC-NPA) condemns in the strongest terms the cold-blooded murder of six Negrosanons by reactionary state forces from January to April of this year. The most recent is the extrajudicial killing of a Negrosanon farmer by elements of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and Philippine National Police (PNP) in Barangay Quintin Remo, Moises Padilla, Negros Occidental on April 4, amid the worsening hunger and poverty in farmer communities due to the impact of El Niño.

According to the victim’s mother, 62nd IB soldiers and elements of the 2nd Negros Occidental Provincial Mobile Force Company (2NOCPMFC) killed her son, farmer Marlon Catacio, 24 years old. The same reactionary state forces first went to the Catacio family’s home in Barangay Quintin Remo, around 2:00 in the morning, April 4. His younger brother guided them to where Marlon was staying for the night as he was making charcoal to provide for their family’s needs.

Butcher soldiers and policemen captured Marlon at his relative’s house in Sitio Ngalan, still in Barangay Quintin Remo, and took him away to a secluded area. After making sure that no one can witness their heinous crime, around 5:30 in the morning, they shot Marlon to death. Media reported that his body sustained gunshot wounds on the head and body that caused his death. To cover up their heinous crime, reactionary state forces recycled their “encounter” script and planted firearms and war materiel near Marlon’s dead body.

The Leonardo Panaligan Command-NPA Central Negros Guerrilla Front already issued a statement on the improbability of an encounter since there was no NPA unit in the said area during the time.

Marlon’s state perpetrated murder is the fourth incident of extrajudicial killings in Negros Island this year. He is the sixth Negrosanon killed by reactionary state forces just in the first four months of 2024.

The first incident was on January 2 at Purok Sab-a, Barangay Montilla, Moises Padilla where father and son, Gudofredo and John Albert Templatura were murdered by CAFGU member Donan Sosia, he was a personnel under the 62nd IB.

The second incident was at Sitio Gomez, Barangay Sag-ang, La Castellana, Negros Occidental on January 17. Bernard Torres and Boy Baloy were taken by 62nd IB soldiers from the house where they were staying. They were subjected to torture while under interrogation by the soldiers and were then shot to death. They were victims of red-tagging in Guihulngan City, Negros Oriental that forced them to flee their homes and seek refuge in La Castellana. Like Catacio, the 62nd IB faked an encounter and tagged the two as NPA casualties.

The third incident took place at Sitio Mansulao, Barangay Pinapugasan, Escalante City, Negros Occidental on February 21. Jose Caramihan, a local farmer, was killed by 79th IB soldiers during their combat operation. Again, similar to Catacio, he was tagged as an NPA fighter and was included in the casualties of an armed encounter between said fascist soldiers and Red fighters that day. The Roselyn Jean Pelle Command had already shed light on Caramihan’s death and this coincides with the family’s statement, but shameless AFP mouthpieces still parrot their worn-out script.

Fake encounters have alarmingly doubled this year. There are already 12 fake encounters from January to the first week of April used to whitewash AFP/PNP crimes such as salvaging of farmers, indiscriminate firing and aerial bombing; to hide a mis-encounter between reactionary state forces; and to fabricate false victories and accomplishments of reactionary state forces and the National Task Force (NTF)-Elcac. In 2023, out of the 22 fake encounters in Negros Island, six were within the same time period.

Meanwhile, 11 cases of extrajudicial killings victimizing 11 farmers and eight hors de combat revolutionaries last year were covered-up using a fake encounter script.

The US-Marcos II regime reeks of desperation as it is out of breath from carrying out the impossible impositions of imperialist warmonger master, the United States. It further abandons the Filipino people in an ever worsening socio-economic crisis exacerbated by the El Niño and unleashes an anti-people campaign of suppression especially in the countryside.

Here in Negros Island, aside from the scorching heat, the Negrosanons are facing the torrid rampage of the butchers and thieves of the AFP, PNP, and NTF-Elcac. Instead of backing down, however, the masses are burning with passion to demand for genuine justice and peace. The flame of the revolution remains alight.

With the masses pent-up anger at the ruling class and their fascist tools in the military and police, they continue to rise up to ardently defend their rights and welfare. Unwittingly, heightening state violence has given the people all the more reason to fight and wage revolution. They are more and more are enticed to join the NPA.