The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) condemns in the strongest terms the successive aerial bombardment launched by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in Northern Samar and Quezon provinces, as the US-Marcos regime continue to carry out brutal combat operations and campaign of state terrorism throughout the country.

The continuing heavy bombardment campaign of the AFP on the instructions and instigation of the US imperialists, constitutes gross violations of internationally accepted rules of war against the disproportionate use of force. It also brazenly violates the principles of international humanitarian law that grants primordial protection of civilians amid conflict.

In the early hours of July 31, at around 2 a.m., the AFP dropped several bombs at Barangay San Isidro, Las Navas, Northern Samar, purportedly against a guerrilla camp of the New People’s Army. The brutal assault sent shockwaves through the nearby Mamanwa minority communities, leaving residents traumatized by the intense explosions.

Yesterday, August 2, at around 6 p.m., the AFP launched another aerial bombardment, dropping several heavy bombs at Barangay Maguibuay, Tagkawayan, Quezon, unleashing widespread terror and fear among the local peasant communities. This came after an encounter between a local unit of the NPA clashed with troops of the 2nd Infantry Division, in which an NPA fighter was martyred.

The aerial bombardment of the AFP comes just days after Marcos’ farcical claims during his State of the Nation Address that “there are no more guerrilla groups” in the Philippines. In truth, under the guise of “peace and development,” units of the AFP continue to wage relentless counter-guerrilla operations and suppression campaigns against the NPA and peasant communities.

Based on our reports, AFP battalions are conducting simultaneous counterinsurgency operations in the northwestern provinces of Luzon, in Quezon, the Bicol provinces of Camarines Norte, Albay, Sorsogon, Masbate, in Mindoro island, Negros provinces, Capiz province, Samar island provinces, Bukidnon, Misamis Oriental, Surigao and Agusan provinces, Lanao del Norte and others.

Marcos continues to pour hundreds of billions of pesos to fund his regime’s martial law operations in the countryside. Entire villages are placed under military control. In those areas, soldiers impose a no man’s land policy, prohibiting people from freely moving around and working on their land. Thousands of families are going hungry because peasants are prevented by Marcos’ soldiers from tending to their fields and farm animals.

Most recently, soldiers of the 4th Infantry Battalion killed a local peasant farmer at Sitio Salidang, Barangay Naibuan, San Jose, Occidental Mindoro, and claimed the victim died during an encounter last August 1. There were, in fact, no NPA units in the area.

Units of the NPA, which have been reorganized and redployed to counter the AFP’s encirclement operations continue to expand to new areas and consolidate its mass bases, in order to gain more points of initiative for waging guerrilla warfare. Various reports indicate that a number of NPA units were engaged in encounters with the AFP just days after and a few weeks prior to Marcos’ declaration of a “guerrilla-free Philippines,” resulting in casualties on both sides.

Last July 29 and 31, two successive clashes occured in the hinterland barangays of Gingoog City, according to AFP reports. On July 27, the AFP also reported to have killed several NPA fighters in an encounter in Barangay Uson, Masbate province. A few weeks earlier, on July 1, a local NPA unit in Bukidnon reported that seven soldiers were killed in an encounter in Barangay Busdi, Malaybalay City.