By Shan Kenshin Ecaldre

Occidental Negros — A peasant woman was shot dead inside her home in Barangay Linaon, Cauayan, Negros Occidental on November 3, in what farmers’ groups described as part of the continuing pattern of attacks against rural communities on the island.

The victim, identified as 36-year-old Joe Ann Escudro, a peasant organizer, was reportedly shot twice in the chest by an unidentified armed assailant who forcibly entered her residence, according to Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas – Negros (KMP-Negros). She died on the spot.

Authorities have not yet identified the suspect and established a motive. Civil society groups, however, point to the long-standing militarization of Negros as a backdrop for the killing.

In a statement, the Environmental Defenders Congress condemned the incident and called for an impartial investigation. “Escudro’s killing reflects the lethal environment faced by peasants and environmental defenders in Negros, where state forces remain heavily deployed,” the group said.

Context

Negros has been under intensified military operations since 2018, following issuance of Memorandum Order No. 32 which expanded state security presence in several regions, and Executive Order No. 70, which established the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC).

Human rights organizations criticized both directives for enabling harassment, red-tagging, and violence in rural communities. The Philippines continues to be flagged as one of the deadliest countries in Asia for land and environmental defenders, according to 2024 reports by Global Witness and Pesticide Action Network Asia.

Local farmers stressed that unresolved political killings have emboldened perpetrators. “KMP strongly condemned another cases of peasant attacks,” Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas Negros (KMP-Negros) said in a news alert. 

Pattern of Attacks

Escudro’s killing comes in the wake of the Fausto family massacre in 2023, where a peasant couple and their two children were shot dead by suspected state forces. Rights groups said that the case remains unresolved.

Earlier this year, an International Solidarity Mission in Candoni, Negros Occidental reported that more than 3,000 hectares of farmland were allegedly land-grabbed by Consunji-controlled Hacienda Asia Plantation, Inc. to pave the way for palm oil expansion. The mission also documented labor abuses and harassment linked to the military’s 15th and 47th Infantry Battalions.

Negros remains heavily characterized by land monopoly and entrenched estate systems tied to the local sugar economy. Most farmers remain landless, earning meager wages despite long hours of agricultural labor.

Calls

Farmers’ organizations and environmental groups are urging authorities to conduct a transparent investigation and ensure accountability.

They repeated calls to revoke military policies operating on the island. “As long as Memorandum Order No. 32 and Executive Order No. 70 remain, rights violations will continue,” the Environmental Defenders Congress said in a statement.

No formal statement has been issued by local police as of press time. Community members, meanwhile, expressed fear of further violence.

For peasant advocates, Escudro’s death is not isolated but symptomatic of land conflict, resource extraction, and military deployment in the countryside, “subjecting farmers to labor abuses and other human rights violations perpetrated by the 15th and 47th IBPA,” as pointed out by the Environmental Defenders Congress.

“Extractive industries and militarization are intertwined, both justified under the banner of development.” the organization said.

Farmers’ groups across the region have condemned the killing and are demanding accountability from authorities. They are calling for justice for Joe Ann Escudro and all slain farmers in Negros, urging the government to end the continuing attacks in the countryside. (RTS, DAA)