BAYAN SOUNDS ALARM OVER INTENSIFYING INTERNATIONAL HUMANITARIAN LAW VIOLATIONS UNDER MARCOS JR GOVERNMENT

Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) condemns the harassment against the families of suspected NPA members who were killed after an alleged encounter with state troops in Iloilo.

Initial reports have raised suspicion about the claim of the military since the bodies of the suspected NPA members bore marks of torture. We hope that the investigation of the Commission on Human Rights will remain independent in the pursuit of truth and justice.

Human rights groups in Iloilo have described the killing of the Aglonok 5 in Iloilo as inhumane and barbaric since the dead bodies have front-facing gunshot wounds, suspected stab wounds, bruises, and shattered arms. This could be another case of international humanitarian law violation under the government of Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.

Bayan expresses outrage over the increasing IHL violations under the Marcos Jr government. Recent cases in Bohol (Bilar 5) and Bukidnon (Kaliska Peralta) highlight the government’s brutal counterinsurgency program and the criminal impunity of the military in its implementation. The killing of the Aglonok 5 follows the alarming pattern of state terrorism in the island after the Antique 7 massacre in 2018 and the Tumandok 9 massacre in 2020. These killings remain unresolved and state security forces were never made to account for these ghastly crimes.

During the International People’s Tribunal in May 2024, the governments of Duterte and Marcos Jr were found guilty of IHL violations. The recent massacre in Iloilo is a reminder that the machineries of repression are very much in place. The ongoing budget hearings in Congress should be an occasion to call for the defunding of government instrumentalities responsible for committing grave abuses against the people. The Marcos Jr government should be held accountable for the continuing IHL violations and human rights atrocities in the country.

We call on fellow human rights and peace advocates to stand with the families seeking truth and justice. We mourn the death of Aurelio “Boy” Bosque who once served as Bayan Panay spokesperson, and we vow to honor his legacy by continuing the fight for real freedom and democracy in our country.

#StopTheAttacks #MarcosPanagutin