Police massacre 3 barangay watchmen in Masbate
Three barangay watchmen were abducted by police and soldiers on July 4 at midnight and were massacred in the boundary of barangays Bagacay and Marintoc in Mobo, Masbate. The victims, identified as Edgar Mingoy, Marlon Bajar and Rolly de la Cruz, were all falsely presented before the media as members of the New People’s Army (NPA).
The suspects include troops of the Regional Mobile Force Battalion 5, 9th Special Action Battalion, Regional Intelligence Unit, Masbate Provincial Mobile Force Company and the Mobo Municipal Police Office. Elements of the 96th Military Intelligence Company were also involved in the crime.
The perpetrators repeatedly fired their guns in the air for an hour to make it appear that they encountered an NPA unit.
Mingoy served as a barangay watchman for 20 years, while Dela Cruz also served as a councilor in their village.
Bombing. Using two FA-50 fighter jets, the military dropped eight bombs near two Lumad communities in Barangay Diatagon, Lianga, Surigao del Sur on July 15 at around 2 a.m. Two drones were also seen flying overhead. The incident traumatized residents especially children. Thirty-seven families evacuated from their communities after the incident.
Arrests. State elements arrested activist Jenelyn Nagrampa-Caballero in Barangay San Isidro, Nabua, Camarines Sur on July 7. Nagrampa is the chairperson of the Bicolana-Gabriela and concurrently serves as the national vice chairperson of Gabriela.
On July 9, state elements also arrested Rev. Dan San Andres, 61 years old, of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines in Sipocot town in the same province. San Andres is the spokesperson of Karapatan-Bikol.
Both veteran activists were slapped with a trumped-up charges of murder for purportedly killing two soldiers in 2018.
Activists protested in Legazpi and Naga City on July 10 to condemn the arrests.
Militarization. At least five military units have been besieging the towns of Juban, Magallanes, Bulan, Irosin and Matnog in Sorsogon since the last week of June. In Irosin, 23 out of its 28 barangays are currently being occupied by soldiers under the guise of conducting “Community Support Program.” The 22nd IB has also began constructing its camp in Barangay Calomagon in Bulan.
The fascists are conducting house-to-house searches and listing the names of residents. They also coerced barangay councils to stage the surrender of their constituents.
Last July 7 and 8, soldiers and police ransacked the houses of eight residents in Barangay Maalo and Calmayon in the town of Juban.