Local human rights organization, Northern Negros Alliance of Human Rights Advocates (NNAHRA) stated they were concerned over reported grievous rights violations in an early morning raid conducted by the 79th Infantry Battalion Philippine Army in Hacienda Ambulong, Barangay San Fernando, Talisay City, Negros Occidental that occurred yesterday, January 13, 2020
Such raid only took place a few days after the entirety of Northern Negros experienced devastating flash floods that caused over P49.089M in crop and livestock damages, as well as distraught over 76,000 locals.
The human rights alliance states that according to information from the 79h Infantry Battalion itself, the operations in the hacienda was a response to unsubstantiated reports of NPA presence, adding that the raid only yielded confiscation of food and personal belongings such as cellphones, garments, and toiletries in the home of couple Marlyn and Edwin Madin. The two were held by local police for questioning.
Afterwards, the military took custody of a 2-month old baby boy and publicly vilified the mother as an armed rebel whom they identified only with an alias – Ka Jandy.
NNAHRA said they questioned the legality and the moral position of the raid and the taking of a 2-month old baby in custody based on mere speculation that the mother is an NPA combatant. They state the incident is solid basis to expose the heartless implementation of the Anti-Terror Law, that even new born babies are not spared from military operations and captivity, condemning the incident as equivalent to taking the baby hostage to harass and coerce family members to provide information and surrender to the military.
“This is not the first time under the Duterte administration that pregnant women, nursing mothers and their children are subjected to horrendous conditions and cruel vilification just because they are suspected of political offenses. The death of Baby River Nasino and the heartless slander against the mother, Reina, is one stark example of how low the government will stoop to implement its so-called ‘counter-insurgency’ program. We are also concerned over the conditions of women political prisoners such as Nona Espinosa, who was pregnant when arrested on September 2020 in Guilhulngan City, and Amanda Echanis, a peasant organizer who was caring for her newborn child when arrested last December
Arje Marangga of NNAHRA, also victim of a military raid.
Marangga and her children were also stated to be victims of an early morning military raid in their home in March 2019 which traumatized her children. According to reports, the baby was turned over to the local Social Welfare office in Talisay City.
Meanwhile, commanding officer 79th Infantry Battalion via Kalinaw News stated that he urged Ka Jandy and her compatriots to “lay down their arms and abandon pointless armed struggle”, alleging that the infant’s mother had abandoned the 2 month old baby to flea towards an unknown direction.
Paghimutad 