Where and how did private polling and consultancy firm OCTA Research gather their data for their recently published study that ranks the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) as the “most trusted” and “best-performing” government agency? In places such as the Eastern Visayas countryside, where fascist Philippine Army troops commit daily violations of human rights and international humanitarian law, that is most definitely not the case.

Combat battalions under the 8th Infantry Division get top honors for being rejected and despised by the people. Just last March virtually all residents of Barangay Imelda, Las Navas, Northern Samar voted against the building of a military camp by Retooled Community Support Program troops of the 20th Infantry Battalion inside their village. In April, a peasant resident of Barangay Victory in the same town had a physical altercation with an element of the 19th Infantry Battalion in protest of the repressive “lockdowns” in their barangay, while citizens of Barangay Paco talked about how it is unsurprising for the minor son of Edward Yanay (a civilian whom the military is forcing to surrender) will leave home after suffering months of military harassment and incessant threats.

Let us also recall how last February the local government of San Jorge, Samar had to arbitrate a meeting between the 52nd IB and angry residents of Barangay Bay-ang after the latter were strafed and forced to sign a document attesting they were not harmed by the trigger-happy fascist troops. And before this, peasant Jaime Pabillar of Barangay Cagtoto-og was killed by the 3rd IB while in his home with his wife and children.

Leyte is not spared from this repressive onslaught. Fisherfolk in Tacloban City called out the military for the fishing ban imposed on San Pedro Bay and its lack of coordination with local officials during the Balikatan exercises, which included the US launch of the Tomahawk missile. In San Isidro and Tabango towns, the peasant masses fear their lands being taken away from them through the sham “peasant organizations” founded by fascist troops in connivance with local landlords.

The public should see through this desperate AFP’s public relations stunt conveniently timed in the midst of worsening political crisis, deepening public distrust in government, strife among graduates of the Philippine Military Academy, and never-ending rumors of destabilization efforts among factions of the armed state forces. It is a vain attempt by the AFP to try to salvage what it can from its ruined reputation in the wake of widespread condemnation of the Toboso massacre and other rights violations.

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