Rights group reveals possible humanitarian law violations in Occidental Mindoro

MANILA – Human rights group Karapatan calls on the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) to conduct a swift, independent, and thorough investigation into the potential violations of international humanitarian law (IHL) in Occidental Mindoro following reports of aerial strafing and bombings.

Karapatan’s local chapter recorded three Mangyan-Iraya children killed, one youth researcher killed, and a Filipina from the United States missing for days and has been surfaced earlier today. All of them were present in Abra de Ilog at the time of the attack. 

“They dropped bombs from the skies and fired indiscriminately from helicopters. The military is solely responsible for these deaths, and it is reprehensible for them to shift the blame onto the victims,” said Karapatan Secretary General Cristina Palabay. 

According to reports, the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the New People’s Army had an encounter on January 1 that began at 6:30 a.m. At least four attack helicopters were used to conduct strafing operations from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., and at least 12 bombs were dropped in the area, according to Karapatan-Southern Tagalog.

Karapatan flagged the military offensives of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) as an overkill. At least four battalions were deployed, with an average size of at least 500 soldiers per battalion under the control of 203rd Infantry Brigade.

IHL is also known as the rules of war based on the four Geneva Conventions of 1949, which the Philippines ratified. Both AFP and NPA are bound by these rules. The essence of these rules is to protect civilians and limit the effects of armed conflict.

Article 51 of IHL stipulates that indiscriminate attacks are prohibited. The rules also state that an attack by bombardment or an attack which may be expected to cause incidental loss of civilian life, injury to civilians, damage to civilian objects, or combination of both are part of the prohibition considered indiscriminate and excessive in nature.

‘“We condemn the indiscriminate military attacks that resulted in civilian deaths and the disappearance of Chantal Anicoche,” Palabay said. “The AFP is denying these crimes by brazenly spreading lies against the victims and sowing fear in the community.”

Anicoche is a graduate of Psychology from University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and a respected leader in the Filipino American Student Association (FASA). A report by the local media earlier today, January 8, showed that Anicoche is in the custody of the AFP.

Mindoro island saw more than 16,000 victims of human rights violations based on the monitoring of Karapatan Southern Tagalog in 2025 alone. The Provincial Social Welfare Office reports that at least 769 individuals or 188 Mangyan-Iraya families were also forcibly evacuated during the military operations in New Year.

Kabataan Party-list Rep. Renee Co had a dialogue with the municipal government of Abra de Ilog, in line with an independent fact-finding and humanitarian mission that transpired immediately, investigating the potential human rights violations in the island.

During the dialogue on January 6, Abra de Ilog Mayor Meg Montenegro Constantino said that there is only one casualty, denying the three Mangyan-Iraya children killed based on the reports of Karapatan Southern Tagalog. 

Kabataan Party-list calls for justice for the death of Jerlyn Rose Doydora, a member of the general secretariat of Kabataan Party-list, who died of sickness amid the aerial strafing and bombing in Abra de Ilog on January 1. Like Anicoche, she was a youth researcher immersing in the Mangyan-Iraya communities to know their plight amid militarization.

“We are calling for justice to all victims of the all-out-war of the AFP in the countryside for its indiscriminate attacks, revolutionary and civilians alike,” Kabataan Party-list said in a statement. 

The team behind the fact-finding and humanitarian mission also reported surveillance from intelligence officers within the vicinity of the municipal office, while the dialogue was ongoing.

With this, Karapatan denounced the obstruction of humanitarian and fact-finding missions, including the denial of access to evacuation centers through Dayo Ordinance, dubbing it as deliberate efforts to conceal the human rights violations.

The Dayo (Visitor) Ordinance is being implemented in the town of Abra de Ilog since 2025, which demands the visitors to present identification to the barangay officials. 

“The local government must not act as an accessory to the AFP’s grave violations of International Humanitarian Law, which clearly mandates the protection of civilians during armed conflict,” Palabay said. “Preventing fact-finding and humanitarian work further violates people’s right to speak, to truth and assistance.”

The human rights groups also protested in front of the Department of National Defense (DND) on January 8 to condemn the human rights violations in Mindoro and what they dubbed as “de facto martial law.” (RVO)

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