STB News or Stop The Bombings News is an FFPS initiative to expose the terrorist bombing campaign of the Philippine countryside by the US-Marcos regime through the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP). The bombings are part of its ‘counterinsurgency’ war against the revolutionary movement and people. These bombings terrorize and endanger the rural communities. STB News is part of the FFPS campaign to ‘stop the bombings’.
Three activists investigating bombings abducted
Activists Job Abednego David (29), Peter Del Monte (29) and Alia Encela (19) were abducted by 4th Infantry Battalion and the 203rd Infantry Brigade of the AFP on September 19. The activists were investigating bombings and shelling done by the AFP in April in Oriental Mindoro at the time. The fascist army falsely claimed afterwards that the three were NPA members, in an attempt to cover up both their crime of kidnapping and bombing.
Bombings in Masbate
The 2nd Infantry Battalion and 5th Field Artillery Battalion undertook a two-day bombing exercise in Masbate on September 23-24. Around 46 bombs were dropped, causing distress amongst local communities and damaging the environment. The AFP claimed it was for testing of new artillery weapons. These weapons will likely be used against the Filipino people, their genuine people’s army and the national democratic government that they are building. Multiple people’s organizations also suspect, because many bombs landed in gold mining areas, that the bombings will be a pretext to widen the mining operations.
Bombings in Samar
The 87th Infantry Battalion undertook a seven-day indiscriminate bombing campaign in Samar from September 23 to September 29. They used 105mm and 155mm howitzer artillery weapons. Besides simply scaring the farmers, the farmers were forbidden to harvest their rice. The communities fear that the rice will rot if they don’t harvest it. The bombing caused so much distress that a school was closed for some time. The military wants to terrorize the people of Samar, a province with a strong presence of the revolutionary movement.
If you or your organization has any news related to the stop the bombings campaign, please share it with us at secretariat_ffps@protonmail.com
Sources:
- https://www.bulatlat.com/2023/10/04/3-youth-indigenous-peoples-rights-advocates-abducted-in-mindoro/
- https://philippinerevolution.nu/2023/10/07/ang-bayan-october-7-2023/ pages 4 and 6.
- https://www.bulatlat.com/2023/10/04/groups-alarmed-over-masbate-bombing-exercises/
- https://philippinerevolution.nu/statements/kundenahin-ang-walang-habas-na-pambobomba-ng-87th-ib-sa-mga-sakahan-sa-western-samar-at-pagpatay-ng-63rd-ib-sa-isang-lolo-at-2-taong-gulang-nitong-apo/