The Philippine Army has recently admitted to suffering casualties in an armed engagement against a unit of the New People’s Army in Barangay Babaclayon, San Jose de Buan, Western Samar last Wednesday, December 3. We are still confirming this with the local NPA unit. For now, we wish to shed light on the long list of human rights violations the people of San Jose de Buan have sufferred due to the many years of intense militarization by the 8th Infantry Division.

In September 25, 2023, the NPA in Western Samar reported that troops of the 63rd IB strafed the entire family of peasant Ronnie Obiado in Sitio Salvacion, Barangay San Nicolas, San Jose de Buan. He and and his two-year old grandson were killed while his wife, son and daughter-in-law sustained injuries. In the evenings of September 23-29, 87th IB shelled farmlands in San Nicolas and Aguingayan. The entire week, peasants were barred from going to their farms under a declared “lockdown.”

In January 2024, troops of the 87th IB ransacked the hut of Cesario Gabiana, resident of Sitio San Pedro, Barangay 3. They threw his sacks of rice and palay to the ground, and bore holes into plastic containers that were in his property. They also stole the chickens and eggs of resident Gloria Gabane and attempted to shoot at a civilian who was also working at the farm.

In September of the same year, troops of the 3rd IB and 87th IB illegally arrested and detained Rodrigo Gabane Gabiana, resident of Barangay Hagbay. He was brought to a military camp at the town proper. In December, members of the 87th IB physically assaulted a resident of Barangay Hiduroma.

On February 19, 2025, a peasant resident of Hagbay whoe pig was shot and killed by the 87th IB was not compensated for his loss.

On March 14, minors Jean Gabrisa and Rona Mae Halayahay from Salvacion were illegally arrested and detained by the 87th IB based on a lie that they were being recruited by the NPA. In the same week, fascist troops also strafed at least three farm huts in Salvacion and Sitio San Pedro. Another hut in Barangay San Nicolas was also strafed and the sacks of unhusked rice stored in it were also thrown out.

In July, a resident of San Pedro was killed by the 87th IB. From October to November, as typhoons Tino and Uwan battered Samar, peasant residents of Babaclayon and Hagbay were subjected by the 46th IB and 87th IB to relentless harassment, threats of imprisonment, and forced surrender.

These are the reasons why the fascist soldiere are deeply hated by the people in San Jose de Buan. In fact, they reject the 87th IB that is permanently stationed here as well as the entire 8th ID. They avoid the fascist troops like the plague and only attend their assemblies and other psy-war operations because they were corerced to.

In contrast, when the people meet the NPA, they feel secure and do not feel fear because they are not being threatened with imprisonment or being forced to surrender. They welcome the Red fighters who help them with production work, organize their peasant associations, exact justice on their transgressors, and ensure the security and peace in their communities.

We call upon the people of San Jose de Buan to rise and stand up for their rights. They must expose the abuses of the 8th ID and drive them out of their communities. We also call upon human rights groups, neutral third parties and the media to help the peasant masses expose the situation in their militarized communities.