NDF-Bikol strongly condemns yet another spate of killings under the AFP-PNP’s modus operandi nanlaban-patay/NPA-kaya-pinatay in Bikol. The first weeks of the 2022 election campaign season has once again been smeared with blood by no less than the crazed US-Duterte regime.

One of the recent victims of NPA-kaya-pinatay is Richard Mendoza, a 33-year old farmer and resident of Brgy. Magsaysay, Masbate. The military maliciously peddled the lie that Mendoza was a member of the NPA who was killed during an encounter between the mercenary force and the NPA Masbate last February 8. However, Mendoza’s family strongly denied the allegations. According to their statement, the victim, who was a member of Kilusang Magsasaka ng Masbate, was forcibly abducted from his residence during the wee hours of February 8. He was then found dead in a nearby ricefield. With him were planted weapons and grenade.

Meanwhile, last February 17, three individuals from Oas, Albay who were arbitrarily implicated in an illegal drugs transaction, were also abducted by 11 policemen. They were then forced down on their knees and were shot repeatedly. As usual, the police declared that the three had fought back and were unavoidably killed during the altercation. Their families and witnesses’ condemnation of these claims impelled the Commission on Human Rights Reg. V to hold a separate investigation regarding the said case of nanlaban-patay.

The utter brutality of case after bloody case of nanlaban-patay and NPA-kaya-pinatay killings under the US-Duterte regime are being increasingly criticized by the public and the international community. Even the European Union has issued a statement demanding accountability from the regime for its thousands of extrajudicial killings and massacre cases. In line with this, the EU declared that they would sanction existing trade privileges currently enjoyed by the regime until the murderers who have committed grave crimes against the people face appropriate punitive measures.

As the regime brazenly shrugs these accusations off, Bikolanos grow even more conscious of the need for them to mobilize and make the murderous US-Duterte regime pay for all their attacks and crimes against the Bikolano and Filipino people. They heighten their perseverance to ensure Duterte’s accountability and to prevent his daughter Sara Duterte and her running mate, Bongbong Marcos, another dictator’s son, from being seated in power.

The NDF-Bikol urges all Bikolanos to not cower in fear and violence. They must exhaust all means of struggle to put an end to human rights violations and to prevent the reign of another dictatorship led by the Marcos-Duterte alliance. The persistence of these dirty killing modus-operandi fuels their resolve to fight and end the senseless violence they endure every day. Their relentless perseverance will bring them to their long-sought for triumph.