The International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines (ICHRP) lambasted the series of air strafing on the island of Mindoro, saying that the military assaults led to traumatization of residents in the area affected by the military campaign against the New People’s Army (NPA), the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) armed wing.
“According to reports from human rights group Karapatan Southern Tagalog, the 76th Infantry Battalion of the 203rd Infantry Brigade conducted indiscriminate aerial strafing last February 19 in the Barangay Misong, Pola, Oriental Mindoro after an alleged encounter between the Philippine Army (PA) and the New People’s Army (NPA). The incident follows several reported clashes between the two armed groups in separate towns in the provinces of Occidental Mindoro and Oriental Mindoro since January this year,” ICHRP said in a statement.
“The military’s use of aerial artillery has caused severe distress and trauma to the residents of the affected areas. In the town of Pola, the artillery rounds have damaged their farms, affecting the livelihood of local farmers and preventing them from tending to their crops and livestock,” the statement furthered.
The ICHRP also said that the military forces operating in Barangay Misong, Pola, Mindoro Oriental, forced the residents to flee from their homes as they pursued elements of the NPA.
“All these constitute blatant violations of international humanitarian law,” ICHRP stated.
Meanwhile, the ICHRP linked the series of military operations in the area to the State’s development projects on the island.
“The intensifying militarization in Mindoro is linked to big-ticket development projects by the Marcos Jr. government. These include a planned nuclear power plant in Occidental Mindoro, several airports in Oriental Mindoro, and the plan to turn the island into a power hub of Southern Luzon, supposedly to boost local manufacturing and inter-regional trade. This venture is part of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, a China-led free-trade agreement ratified by the Philippine Senate in 2023,” said the ICHRP.
The ICHRP also added that to attract more foreign investors, the Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. administration tasked the AFP to ensure that the island is Conflict Manageable and Ready for Development (CMRFD), a term used by the Philippine government to describe an area that is “stable” and considered safe and suitable for economic development.
“This is not a surprise, since Mindoro is abundant in natural resources, such as fossil fuels, liquefied natural gas, armor rocks, gold, nickel, and copper, among others,” the right groups explained. (NOEL SALES BARCELONA)
