đź“· KMP secretary general Ronnie Manalo | FacebookÂ
The City Prosecutor of the City of San Jose Del Monte (CSJDM), Bulacan, dismissed the complaints against Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) secretary general Ronnie Manalo. The three charges filed by the military were Illegal Possession of Firearms and Ammunition, Illegal Possession of Explosives, and the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020.
On June 18, 2024, Manalo’s house in Brgy. San Roque, CSJDM was forcibly entered and ransacked by the 80th Infantry “Steadfast” Battalion (80th IB) and the Philippine National Police – Special Action Forces (PNP-SAF) at around 7:00 AM; the state forces alleged to have found warfare weapons and subversive materials. However, the Office of the City Prosecutor of CSJDM has found “no prima facie evidence with reasonable certainty of conviction.”
The complaint describes a highly dramatized “retelling” from the point of view of the military, involving Manalo and certain armed individuals “Ka Maya” and “Ka Men” narrowly escaping Manalo’s domicile prompted by the soldiers’ arrival.
The resolution concludes that “it appears that the complainants did not see the three respondents because when they arrived at the place of incident, the nipa hut was already abandoned.” The complaint also contains false witnesses, for one, their supposed “former member of the CPP-NPA-NDF” asset was found to be not present at the time and place of the incident.
The incident in June of 2024 cascaded a months-long campaign of terror in the farmer communities of at least six sitios in Barangay San Roque, Barangay Paradise 3, and Barangay Tungkong Mangga affecting at least 400 families.
The series of threats, harassments, and forced surrenders coincided with the 80th IB’s psychological warfare causing a “chilling effect” among the residents. The residents’ access to their livelihood and agricultural production were hampered due to fear and anxiety caused by the military encircling of their communities.
At least 20 counts of human rights violations and violations of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) were committed, including the military’s illegal occupation of the Brgy. Tungkong Mangga barangay hall, using the facility for military summons and interrogation.
Illegal possession of firearms and explosives along with violations of the Anti-Terrorism Act are the typical charges filed against activists, organizers, and human rights defenders being non-bailable offenses. Manalo joins the ever-growing roster of activists fighting for peasant rights and demands that are harassed and victimized by state agents in the guise of counter-insurgency.
The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) recommended in the recent inquiry on red-tagging the abolition of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) and the repeal of draconian laws such as the Anti-Terrorism Act that are weaponized against farmers, organizers, and progressive individuals. #
