Philippines: Military attempts to cover up its massacre of civilians

Fight Back News Service is circulating following statement from Maoche Legislador, Spokesperson, Negros Island Regional Operational Command (Apolinario Gatmaitan Command) of the New People’s Army.

79th IB narrative is a desperate piece of fiction

The Apolinario Gatmaitan Command of the New People’s Army (AGC-NPA), alongside the revolutionary forces of Negros Island, offers its highest tribute to the martyrs of Barangay Salamanca, Toboso. Their names are now etched into the long history of the struggle for land and justice on this island. While the 79th Infantry Battalion (IB) attempts to bury their identities under a mountain of black propaganda, the Negrosanon people will remember them as they were: patriots and revolutionaries who understood the plight of the marginalized and chose to defend the peasantry even at the cost of their lives.

The military’s account of the encounter is a study in calculated exaggeration. Of those who fell, only a small squad was composed of revolutionary fighters led by Roger “Ka Jhong” Fabillar. The rest were civilians documenting a peasant activity, standing alongside farmers who are consistently pushed to the margins by land-grabbing and systemic neglect. Among the casualties were local and foreign journalists and human rights advocates who only carried notebooks, cameras, and the grievances of the poor — tools far more threatening to the status quo than any rifle. Notably, the victims included Roel Sabillo, a local farmer from Toboso, who was working at his uncle’s business during the incident, and RJ Ledesma, a Bacolod-based journalist.

Amidst the narratives circulating through communities and social media, one can easily recognize the 79th IB’s script for what it is: a desperate piece of fiction. They were quick to parade a tally of 19 casualties, claiming each was an armed combatant. To bolster this claim, they presented 19 firearms allegedly recovered from the site. This appears mathematically convenient but logically bankrupt; it is a clumsy attempt to paint a picture of a proportionate firefight where none existed.

To believe the military’s account is to ignore their well-documented history of “planted evidence” and “fabricated encounters.” This has become the standard operating procedure to meet liquidation quotas and secure promotions. We must not forget the Sagay 9 massacre, where murdered farmers were paraded as “Red fighters,” or the Negros 14, where civilians were similarly touted by the AFP as armed rebels. In both instances, the military presented firearms with serial numbers already linked to previous operations, or weapons in such disrepair they could never have been fired.

What the military labels a “battlefield success” was, in reality, a cold-blooded assault on individuals whose only weapons were their convictions and an unwavering commitment to the rural poor.

The soil of Negros has been watered with the blood of the brave, and from that soil, the revolution will only grow stronger. The fascist state and its military instruments see only a body count, but the people see a reason to keep fighting.

#Philippines #International #NPA #Negros #Toboso