97 killed in Marcos first year says CPP -

Press Release

June 19, 2023

Information Bureau
Communist Party of the Philippines

A special report released yesterday by Ang Bayan, the news organ of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), indicated that there have been at least 97 victims of killings perpetrated by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and other armed state agents under the first year of the illegitimate regime of Ferdinand Marcos Jr, until June 15. This accounts for about two victims every week in less than 12 months.

The report said these killings are a grave violation to the international humanitarian laws, rules of war and other special protections given to civilians and non-combatants in areas of armed conflict.

Ang Bayan said there have been 62 incidents of political killings recorded in at least 19 provinces. Five cases of massacres were recoreded, the latest of which is that of the Fausto family last June 14 in Barangay Buenavista, Himamaylan City perpetrated by elements of the AFP's 94th IB.

Peasants accounted for most of the victims of Marcos' killing-spree with 53 victims. Six minors were also killed in the past 12 months, the report said. "Even a 5-month pregnant woman was not spared from the fascist attacks by soldiers," it said.

Of the total number of victims, the report said that 47 were killed while they were under military custody. "They are victims of abductions or illegal arrests, made to suffer physical and psychological torture before being murdered."  Meanwhile, eight victims were killed by indiscriminate firing of weapons by the military.

The CPP news organ also noted that Negros Occidental recorded the highest number of victims of political killings with 31, followed by Masbate and Samar, which both recorded 12 victims.

"These provinces are covered by Memorandum Order No. 32 which was issued by the previous Duterte regime in 2018...This effectively deployed additional military battalions and imposed de facto martial law rule in Negros Island, Eastern Visayas provinces and Bicol," the report read.

The report also said that November 2022 recorded the most number of victims with 16, followed by May 2023 with 15 killed.

"Majority of the cases were recorded during the Armed Forces of the Philippines' focus military operations (FMO) and Retooled Community Support Program (RCSP) in communities," the report said.