Groups decry alleged military threats, abuses in southern Negros

By Juliane Judilla

Human rights groups have raised alarm over what they describe as intensifying military abuses in southern Negros, including a reported death threat issued by a soldier of the 94th Infantry Battalion (IB) against a farmer in Himamaylan City, Negros Occidental.

According to the September 21 Movement South Negros, a soldier identified only as “Rica” from the 94th IB threatened to kill Bukloy Tagini, a resident of Sitio Asaran, Barangay Buenavista, Himamaylan City.

The group said Tagini was coerced into joining drinking sessions with soldiers, allegedly so he would be pressured into revealing information about the New People’s Army (NPA) while intoxicated.

“This is a clear case of psychological and physical coercion,” the group said in a statement.

“No civilian should be subjected to this kind of military harassment, much less be threatened with death,” it added.

The group also cited patterns of intensified military presence and harassment across nearby Kabankalan City, alleging that the 94th IB has targeted members and leaders of local people’s organizations since May.

The tactics allegedly include constant surveillance of community leaders, house-to-house visits and interrogations about organizational finances, red-tagging of officers and members, disruption of meetings, and pressure on residents to cease their involvement in civic groups.

“Soldiers have camped inside communities and gone door to door, pointing guns at farmers and intimidating residents into silence,” the September 21 Movement said.

Meanwhile, Human Rights Advocates Negros (HRAN) alleged that the 94th IB has hijacked delivery of public services in these areas, bypassing civilian agencies and using aid as leverage for intelligence gathering.

The group noted that military personnel sometimes accompany or replace government workers during community engagements, blurring the line between civilian governance and military control.

HRAN also recalled the unit’s history of alleged abuses, including the killing of Crispin Tingal, the torture of Alberto Piadoche, and other rights violations tied to counterinsurgency operations in southern Negros.

“This mirrors the ‘tokhang-style’ tactics of Duterte’s drug war, now repurposed by the military under counterinsurgency operations,” the group said.

As the country marks International Humanitarian Law Month this August, HRAN called on the Philippine government and the Armed Forces of the Philippines to honor obligations under international treaties, including the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL).

“These operations violate the core principles of CARHRIHL and basic human rights,” HRAN said.

“Militarizing civilian communities, threatening unarmed residents, and criminalizing civic engagement must stop,” it added.

Both HRAN and the September 21 Movement reiterated their demand for the immediate withdrawal of the 94th IB and the 3rd Infantry Division from communities in southern Negros.

“The people deserve peace, not occupation,” they concluded.