KMP said that the rice liberalization law that Senator Villar principally authored and enacted in 2019 led to heavy income losses for rice farmers amounting to P206 billion in the past three years.
Mabasa’s family said that while they would like to thank the PNP, they hope the development would lead to the identification, arrest and prosecution of the mastermind.
Raymundo Buenfuerza, NPA Bicol spokesperson, said their recent successes in Albay is a slap on both the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police that claim counter-insurgency programs have weakened the rebel army in the region.
“His remarks, while a brazen official admission of the practice, do not only encourage and normalize red-tagging but also brandish it as an institutionalized and orchestrated method of the government in dealing with perceived political critics,” Philippine UPR Watch said.
The NPA however said Magbanua (born Romeo V. Nanta) was summarily-killed as there was no clash in the area and only four shots were fired that ended the ailing rebel spokesperson’s life.
The 303rd Infantry Brigade of the Philippine Army (PA) ordered civilians to either vacate their homes or stay indoors as pursuit operations are being conducted against New People’s Army (NPA) rebels.
“Palala nang palala ang kalusugan ng asawa ko mula nang makulong siya,” political detainee Dionisio Almonte’s wife Gloria said.
Bishop Famadico stressed the people’s right to a balanced and sound ecology and the people’s moral duty to uphold and advance this right in behalf of the voiceless and future generations.
“That the incident took place in Metro Manila indicates how brazen the perpetrators were, and how authorities have failed to protect journalists as well as ordinary citizens from harm,” the NUJP said.
“In March 2020, multiple statements were delivered by Government officials accusing civil society organizations engaging at the Human Rights Council of ‘masquerading as defenders of human rights,’ channelling ‘funding support … towards actors professing terrorism,’ and serving ‘hidden agendas of deceit and violence on the ground,’” UN said.
