Four houses were reportedly illegally raided one after the other by alleged elements of the Philippine Army at Sitio Maravilla, Barangay Mahalang, Himamaylan City, Negros Occidental at around 1 am in the morning, according to human rights group September 21 Movement. Residents, including children, were rounded up, beaten, tortured, and held at gun point while being interrogated “where the New People’s Army (NPA) are” and “where are the NPA supporters”. Local resident Edgar Bautista was said to have been illegally arrested and “abducted” by authorities during the raid.

Such raid comes only three weeks after the crackdown against civic organizations in Southern Tagalog and death threats were sent to Karapatan Negros Island, stating that they are “next.”

UPDATE (7:30 pm, 03/23/21): The 3rd Infantry Division Spokesperson from the Armed Forces of the Philippines denied the incident occurred. According to the spox., the local church and military went to the community after the city’s Diocese received complaints. As per their investigation, they state no such event happened.

Meanwhile, the September 21 Movement have accussed the 62nd Infantry Battalion of being the perpetrators of the incident.

The First House – Mely Gante

According to the resident, it was around 1 am in the morning when no less than 10 heavily armed people entered her house and forced to go down from their place. They were questioned as to where are the NPA rebels, to which they replied they have no idea. Her young child, Jason Gante, was punched in the stomach several times, while a certain “Dodong”, who introduced himself as a former “NPA organizer”, started pointing at them–accusing them of being NPA supporters and aiming their arms at them10

The Second House – Edgar Pacunla

At around 1:30 am, their house was purportedly encircled by armed personnel. Three armed soldiers with short ranged pistols climbed up their house, snatched Edgar Pacunla, and dragged him to a vacant lot. Authorities interrogated him where the NPA are and if he was an NPA supporter by suffocating his face with a plastic bag. Pacunla was then made to lie on his stomach while another resident in the house, Edgar Bautista was also questioned the whereabouts of the NPA by “Dodong” and “Suli”. Afterwards, Bautista was arrested after saying he had no clue and was abducted by authorities. Until today, Bautisa’s whereabouts are unknown.

The Third House – Yolly Pacunda

Pacunda’s dogs barked loudly as three armed soldiers barged through their door also around 1:30 am, while two other military personnel waited outside. “Dodong” once again asked her family where the NPA are. Upon seeing the child of Yolly, who was wounded after falling from a Star Apple tree, Dodong pointed a knife at the child and repeatedly punched the wounded kid, repeatedly saying that “sigi ka training sa NPA?!” (this is from your training with the NPA?!)

The Fourth House – Alberto Sagubay

After Pacunda’s and Pacunla’s house were raided, at around 2:00 am in the morning, Sagubay’s family was startled when they heard someone shouting “Tagbalay! Mga kaupod ini” (Neighbors! It’s your comrades). Armed soldiers immediately busted down their doors and asked furiously where the NPA are, threatening that if they do not say where the NPA are, they will shoot all of them and saying they have a warrant to kill the father. However, the authorities did not show any warrant documents.

“Dodong” then stated he recognized them, accusing the family of having beaten him up “when he was in the NPA”, and not to lie him because according to him, “ako ga organize sa inyo sang una” (I was the one who organized you before [in the NPA]).

Immediately after, the father of a nearby neighbor was dragged by military personnel while the wife violently resisted and tried pulling her husband back–all whiole being pointed at by the guns of the armed soldiers. “Dodong” also reportedly said that there might be grenades outside their house, and that the family not be allowed to leave the house. Amidst this, soldiers were said to also have been scourging and thrashing their house, even though they got nothing and left right after.