In the early morning of 1 December, the FA-50 planes of the Armed Forces of the Philippines dropped at least four bombs on the village of Alimodias in Miag-ao. The bombing ravaged the area, with craters up to 4.5meters deep and 6meters wide. The aerial bombing was then followed by relentless artillery shelling from the AFP’s howitzers.

Miag-ao is a town in Iloilo province, in central Philippines.

The bombing and shelling caused the deaths of at least nine people, including a child. They also traumatized the people in the communities. Witnesses said the victims were mutilated beyond recognition and were scattered all over the place.

The AFP has prevented media and other civilian organizations from independently investigating the atrocities of 1 December in Miag-ao. 

 Maj. Gen. Benedict Arevalo, commanding general of the Philippine Army’s 3rd Infantry Division, defended the bombing, saying it was justified since it thwarted a major possible attack by the New People's Army against the military or even civilians.

On 6 December however, the Communist Party of the Philippines declare, “There is no truth to the claim that there was an armed encounter between the AFP and the NPA. Neither is there truth to the AFP’s claim that the area was planted with landmines. These claims were used to falsely justify the superfluous bombing.”

The CPP further stated, “The AFP’s claims that they bombed a 70-strong NPA force is absolutely false. Only a small mass work unit of the NPA was in the area. Red fighters of the NPA were deployed in the area to assist the masses in production and help uplift them from hunger and poverty after typhoons and heavy rains damaged their rice fields and vegetable plots.”

The CPP also added that the aerial bombing “violated international humanitarian law as well as the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law, specifically the basic principle of distinction between combatants and civilians and the protection of civilian lives.”

Various Christian church leaders also protested the aerial bombings on 7 December.  The bombings are not an isolated incident, the prelates said. They noted other occasions when the AFP bombed rural towns like Las Navas in Northern Samar province on 26 October 2021 and towns in Bukidnon province also in October.

“By their very nature, aerial bombings result in extensive destruction and are likely to cause death or injury to civilians and destruction of civilian properties,” said the religious leaders. They also expressed their concen over the possible violation of Internaitonal Humanitarian Law.

Among those who signed the joint statement were Roman Catholic Archbishop Antonio Ledesma and Episcopal Church in the Philippines Bishop Rex RB Reyes, Jr, Co-Convenors of the Philippine Ecumenical Peace Platform and Philippine Independent Church Supreme Bishop Rhee M. Timbang of the group Pilgrims for Peace.