“Throughout its first year in office, the US-Marcos Jr regime has made clear its blatant contempt for peace negotiations with the National Democratic Front of the Philippines,” said the Communist Party of the Philippines in a statement released by Ang Bayan, the CPP’s official publication.

Close to 100,000 victims of human rights violations were documented in the first year of Marcos Jr, according to Ang Bayan’s special report released last July 24, the same day Marcos Jr delivered his second State of the Nation Address. The figures do not include extrajudicial killings committed under the bogus war against drugs.

Data suggests 94,448 victims of human rights violations in 954 separate cases which translates to two victims per day from June 30, 2022, to June 30 this year. Incidents were highest last October 2022 reaching 117 cases.

The report also shed light on the US-Marcos regime’s attacks against peace consultants of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP). According to the report, the regime killed five NDFP peace consultants, forcibly disappeared one and illegally detained two others during the first year of Marcos Jr’s illegitimate presidency.

“The killings and incarceration violate the Joint Agreement on Security and Immunity Guarantees (JASIG) which provide protections to peace consultants and other staff members of negotiating panels,” said the CPP.

 

Among those brutally murdered by the Armed Forces of the Philippines are Benito and Wilma Tiamzon, who directly took part in the 2016 peace negotiations under the Duterte regime. Along with eight others, they were “captured, tortured and killed in cold blood” before their cadavers were towed to the sea to be blown up in a fake water interdiction encounter. The Tiamzons held key positions in the CPP and the New People’s Army.

Three other consultants, all from the Visayas provinces, were likewise killed, namely Ericson Acosta, Rogelio Posadas and Manuel Tinio.

In Mindanao, peace consultant Ariel Badiang was reported abducted in Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon last February and remains missing to this day.

Two other consultants, Ruben Saluta and Eric Casilao, were unjustly arrested and are currently held in separate jails in Mindanao. Saluta, who was also a participant in the 2016 peace negotiations, is detained with wife, Presentacion.