As if the terror caused by the on-going focused military operation (FMO) in Sta. Catalina and other areas of Negros Oriental’s 3rd District is not enough to dissipate the celebratory mood of the affected communities for the upcoming traditional Christmas day festivity, the 11th IB’s psywar hacks are unrelenting in spawning dangerous lies against civilians.

Last week, the family of Carlos Dayot, a farmer who hailed from Sitio Salingkubong, Barangay Tayak, Siaton, expressed outrage when they found out that M/Sgt. Borja of 11th IB’s Alpha “Hunter” Company posted a death threat to Carlos in his Facebook page. “Usa nalang ka adlaw ang imong kinabuhi (you have only a day to live),” the post said.

Dayot is the husband of one of the officers of the red-tagged legal and duly-accredited progressive peasant organization Tayak United Farmer’s Association (TAUFA). As a result, Carlos is now in hiding for fear of being another tokhang victim fully aware of what happened to Dr. Rose Sancelan in Guihulngan recently and his family’s customary simple Christmas gathering eventually canceled.

“It’s already hard to celebrate Christmas when fascist guns are virtually train in your head. But it’s much more harder when you are constantly threatened, red tagged and intimidated on mere suspicion of being an NPA member or supporter without any due process. It’s tantamount to a death warrant that will surely lead to tokhang-style execution and unlawful detention“, Ka Estrella Banagbanag, NPA-Southeast Negros (Rachelle Mae Palang Command) spokesperson said.

Banagbanag lambasted the 11th for being callous and insensitive to people’s tradition. “It only shows that the 11th IB are spoilers of Christmas like the mythological mischievous creature gremlins that wreck havoc and disorder on Christmas eve,” Banagbanag added.

Earlier, the spokesperson of the District Farmers Alliance (DFA) Estrelita Elpidal was waylaid and accosted by three armed men that identified themselves as members of NTFC-ELCAC and emissaries of PNP Chief Debold Sinas. They coerced the elderly Elpidal into admitting of having known, worked and connected with the alleged leader of the guerilla front.. They further threatened Elpidal with barrage of criminal cases, ordered by Gen. Sinas filed, if she will not cooperate and consent to become an intelligence asset.

“In desperation of round after round of failed FMOs and inability to wipe out the NPA in Southeast Negros, the 11th are directing their anger on civilians. Small wonder, why more and more people are enlisting in NPA,” Banagbanag ended. ###