To cover up the failure of their massive military operations to crush the revolutionary forces, the 303rd Bridage has been ravaging the people through horrific killings, illegal arrests, abductions, torture, threats especially against suspected families of revolutionaries, the theft of the animals and the destruction of peasants livelihood. It has become a policy for state forces to declare an “encounter” at their crime scenes accusing their victims of being members of the NPA, even giving them high rank and planting weapons.

Just this month of July, four fake encounters in the northern and central parts of Negros were boasted by the 303rd Brigade commander, BGen. Inocencio Passport: the first on July 6, 2022, when four members of the NPA who were sick of flu were arrested by 94th IB troops in Sityo Calunakon, Barangay Santol, Binalbagan, Negros Occidental. After being accosted, they were taken to Sityo Amiles and massacred, despite their inability to fight and hors de combat status. The military claimed that it was a legitimate encounter that lasted only three minutes.

Second, on the same day, 40 elements of the 79th IB fired automatic weapons at the residents of Sityo Banwa Minatay, Barangay Marcelo, Calatrava, Negros Occidental. The forested area and nearby house was also strafed. A child was injured, the mother and other family members were wounded and a civilian was illegally arrested based on planted evidence.

Third, July 20, 2022, while resting in a hut in Sityo Catuptop, Barangay Trinidad, Guihulngan City, Negros Oriental, five farmers were fired at by members of the 62nd IB using automatic rifles. In this incident, Pompeo Landisa, a local resident, was killed. The military statement was simple: an encounter occurred and an NPA was killed. Landisa was a farmer and a resident in the place, most of the people in the village knew him and he was clearly a civilian.

Fourth, July 26, 2022, with people asleep at around five o’clock in the morning, a house in Sityo Banderahan, Barangay Trinidad, Guihulngan City, Negros Oriental, was fired upon by elements of the 62nd IB using automatic weapons. The massacre killed Christina Jacolbe, who was five months pregnant, her daughter Everly Kee Jacolbe, 16 and Rodan Montero. Christina was a former teacher in the local day care and has been a target of military killings since Oplan Sauron 1 was launched in Guihulngan City and other towns of Negros Oriental.

In addition to the killings of civilians and the inability to fight, illegal arrests also ran rampant such as that of civilians Gerald Ganti and Dalen Alipo-on in Himamaylan City, the alleged arrest of a the supposed most wanted man in Central Visayas named Charlie Saliganan in the Catalina City, Negros Oriental who is also accused of being a member of the NPA, and the illegal arrest of Ramonito Slow of Vallehermoso, Negros Oriental. There was also a plan to kidnap the children of Debagyo and Mijares, who were said to be children in an attack to force their parents to surrender.

These incidents confirm the harm brought by the counterrevolutionary campaign of 3rd ID on the island of Negros. They target innocent civilians or Red fighters rendered incapable of giving battle. The people reject this cowardly methods.

A series of “fake encounters” by the AFP fascists confirm that the US-Marcos Jr. regime only wants to continue the attacks and threats against the people and their rights amid a grave socioeconomic crisis. The people are being pushed to join the armed struggle to fight for genuine freedom.

The grave of the semicolonial and semifeudal system is being dugged deep by the U.S.-Marcos Jr. The people with their true army will put a decisive end to the regime.