Oppose Heightened Militarization And Use Of US Made Tanks Against Peasant Communities In Southern Tagalog

September 13, 2024

The International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines (ICHRP) is alarmed by successive reports of heightened militarization and police presence in peasant communities in the province of Cavite, Southern Tagalog, including the use of US manufactured V150 Tanks.

Lupang Ramos, Dasmariñas, Cavite

On September 10, around 50 personnel from combined forces of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Philippine National Police (PNP), PNP-SWAT (Special Weapons and Tactics), Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) and representatives of Dasmariñas local government forcibly entered Lupang Ramos, under the guise of “inspection” for ASF (African Swine Fever) and encircled the community. Lupang Ramos is a 372-hectare farming community of peasants asserting ownership to the land.

The military also threatened to set up a checkpoint or a military encampment in the peasant community allegedly for a gun ban enforcement in preparation for the upcoming 2025 midterm elections. The overkill deployment of military and police personnel caused widespread fear and apprehension among the residents.

The residents of Lupang Ramos through the leadership of the community peasant organization Kasama-LR (Katipunan ng mga Lehitimong Magsasaka at Mamamayan sa Lupang Ramos or Association of Legitimate Farmers and Citizens in Lupang Ramos) stood up and have set up a barricade (“barikadahan”) to prevent the PNP and AFP to build a checkpoint and/or military encampment in their community.

Lupang Tartaria, Silang, Cavite

On the same day in an adjacent town, peasants of Lupang Tartaria in Silang, Cavite reported heavy military and police presence. Two (2) police vehicles of PNP-SAF (Special Action Force), three (3) V150 armor tanks, and one (1) military truck were sighted near their community.

The Samahan ng Magsasaka at Mamamayan ng Tartaria (SAMATA, Association of Peasants and Citizens in Tartaria), the organization of peasants in the said community have long been fighting for their rights to livelihood and to their land.

These incidents follow a long pattern of attacks against the communities of Lupang Ramos and Lupang Tartaria. Peasants in both communities have had a long history of struggle for land against big corporations and landowning clans such as the Ramos and the Aguinaldo families who are hellbent on acquiring these lands to pave the way for big businesses and real estate projects. Entire peasant communities continue to suffer from red-tagging, harassment, intimidation, and other human rights and international humanitarian law violations from state forces.

The attacks against peasant communities coincide with an increase in cases of enforced disappearances under the Marcos Jr. government. Just weeks ago, Rowena Dasig, James Jazmines and Felix Salaveria were all reportedly abducted in separate incidents by suspected state forces. They all remain missing.

These attacks are in line with the Philippine government’s US-inspired counterinsurgency drive which has committed massive and widespread human rights and international humanitarian law violations. The AFP’s use of V150 tanks, originally engineered for the US during the Vietnam war, serve as an example of the way the Armed Forces of the Philippine relies on and uses US weapons committing human rights and international humanitarian law violations.

As the Armed Forces of the Philippines continue to use US military aid and US manufactured weapons against poor and marginalized communities in the Philippines, it is critical the international community raise our level of opposition to US-led militarization in the Philippines. ICHRP calls on its chapters, member organizations, and solidarity allies worldwide to conduct mass actions in protest of the increased militarization, attacks against peasant communities, and enforced disappearances in the Philippines.

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