“The people were forced to leave their homes and livelihoods to accommodate military operations that do not serve their interests.”
CABUYAO CITY, Laguna – The temporary evacuation of residents from Sitio Mainit, Barangay Balogo, Pasacao, Camarines Sur to make way for live-fire military exercises under the Kasangga 2026 war games has drawn condemnation from peasant and human rights organizations, which said the operation sacrificed civilian welfare in favor of expanding military cooperation with foreign forces.
According to Kilusang Magbubukid ng Bicol (KMB), families were relocated to an evacuation center in Barangay Odicon while the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and Australian military forces conducted live-fire exercises using heavy weapons and live ammunition in the area. Fishing activities and access to nearby waters were likewise suspended during the military drills, disrupting the primary source of livelihood of local fisherfolk.
For peasant group, the military exercises have brought hardship rather than security to communities in Pasacao.
“The people were forced to leave their homes and livelihoods to accommodate military operations that do not serve their interests,” the group was quoted in a statement released on June 18.
KMB said farmers, fisherfolk, vendors, transport workers, and employees of small resorts lost income due to the suspension of economic activities during the exercise. The organization called for immediate compensation for all affected residents whose livelihoods were disrupted by the military operation.
The group also criticized what it described as the government’s prioritization of military spending over social services, arguing that resources devoted to military exercises should instead be allocated to agriculture, health care, and education.
Beyond economic losses, KMB expressed concern over the possible environmental effects of the live-fire exercises, alleging that explosions and gunfire disturbed marine ecosystems and fish breeding grounds while causing anxiety among nearby residents because of the intensity of the bombardment.
Meanwhile, Defend Bicol: Stop the Attacks Network described the evacuation as another manifestation of the militarization of civilian communities in the region.
In its statement, the network said the displacement of residents illustrated how communities have become sites for military operations, forcing civilians to bear the consequences through evacuation, interrupted livelihoods, and insecurity.
The group argued that the Kasangga exercises form part of the Philippines’ expanding military cooperation with foreign forces, warning that such activities expose local communities to the consequences of intensifying geopolitical tensions in the Asia-Pacific region.
Defend Bicol called on the Commission on Human Rights and other concerned agencies to conduct an independent investigation into the reported displacement of residents and determine whether their rights were violated during the conduct of the military exercise.
The alliance likewise urged the government to halt military exercises that result in forced evacuations and livelihood disruption, emphasizing that civilian communities should not be transformed into training grounds for war games.
As government officials describe the exercises as measures to strengthen defense cooperation and national security, local organizations insist that genuine security cannot be achieved by displacing communities and undermining the rights and livelihoods of the very people the state claims to protect. (RTS, RVO)
Save as PDF