In just a week, five farmers were killed by elements of the Philippine National Police (PNP) in Bicol. The killings were carried out on June 17 in Placer, Masbate and on 24 in Jovellar, Albay.

Reports from the New People’s Army command in Masbate said that on the night of June 17, three residents were killed by a team of the PNP-Masbate 2nd Provincial Mobile Force Company (PMFC) in Barangay Mahayahay, Placer, Masbate.

The PMFC elements aboard several motorcycles arrived at the residence of Danny Boy Pepito, Sr. in the said village. The police forces gunned down Pepito, Sr., and his son Jessie Boy (a minor), as well as civilian Rogen Languido. After the massacre, the perpetrators ransacked the victims’ house and stole Danny’s cellphone.

The PMFC platoon was conducting combat operations in Barangays Pitogo and Chimenea, in Cataingan town, and in Mahayhay. It is encamped at Barangay Sto. Niño in Cataingan, and is under the command of Colonel Pascua.

A week later, two suspected elements of the PNP-Albay’s 1st PMFC gunned down farmer Elder Moina, 57, on June 24 at 6:45 p.m. The victim was at his neighbor’s house in Barangay San Isidro, Jovellar, Albay at the time. After the incident, the soldiers went to the house of farmer Jose Arthur Clemente in the same village and also shot him dead.

Moina and Clemente were incumbent barangay officials and members of the peasant organization Organisasyon ng mga Magsasaka sa Albay (OMA). Clemente received several death threats prior to the killing.

Earlier that day in the same village, the 1st PMFC suffered four casualties in an ambush by the New People’s Army.