Association leaders in Cauayan were framed as New People’s Army (NPA) surrenderees and threatened by the 15th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army to cooperate with them in exchange for livelihood support from the NTF-ELCAC (National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict), said Joselito Macapobre, Chairperson of Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (PAMALAKAYA) South Negros, during a press conference in Bacolod City last July 22.
From July 7 to 8, 2022, Mayor John Rey Tabujara and John Castillo, in charge of the local government unit’s sustainable livelihood program, called leaders of various associations to a Community Leadership Workshop, which they said would serve as an orientation before the release of the livelihood projects.
The associations invited to this so-called workshop were Caliling Small Agricultural Farm Workers Association (CASAWA), Tuyom Farmers Association (TUSFA), Small Farmers of Manuling (SFAM), Paghiliusa sang mga Mangingisda sa Lugway (PAMALU) and Paghiliusa sang Mangingisda sa Guilungan (PAMAGUI).
According to Macopre, however, members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) led the activity, which involved the discussion of Executive Order No. 70 and the NTF-ELCAC as well as a film showing NPA surrenderees red-tagging legal mass organizations such as Anakbayan and Kabataan Party-list.
The farmers and fisherfolk were made to look like members of the NPA who had surrendered themselves to the government, although there was no truth to this, he said.
The AFP told the workers to cooperate with the military against the NPA in their area to receive aid and funding for their projects, Macapobre added.
The association members were worried when they saw on the Facebook page of the 15th Infantry Battalion that they were identified as partnering with the NTF-ELCAC which according to them, they did not agree to be a part of.
The following Monday, July 11, six men who identified themselves as part of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) and Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) looked for Macapobre and other peasant leaders in their homes.
Macapobre claims this is an attempt to silence them from exposing what had just transpired.
“Nagapangabuhi lang kami sang inchakto. Bugsay kag taga lang ang amon gina uyatan,” Macapobre said. (“We are just doing our job. Our only tools are our paddles and hooks.”)
In a press statement, the September 21 Movement South Negros condemned the 15th Infantry Battalion for the fabricated stories and use of threats to withhold aid and funding. They also called for the defunding of the NTF-ELCAC and to instead direct the funds to support farmers and fisherfolk.
Paghimutad 