Stop bombing fragile Key Biodiversity Areas! Joint Statement

We believe the military’s claims of targeting insurgents during a firefight are just the tip of the iceberg. Our ongoing research (by the Kalikasan PNE) suggests a deeper connection between the airstrikes and the protection of major mining interests in Abra by state forces.

In the neighboring towns near the airstrike sites, there are currently seven exploration permits, two mining applications, and one existing Mineral Production Sharing Agreement (MPSA) covering a total of 129,396.8188 hectares. This represents over a third, or 32%, of Abra’s land area — and excludes additional mining tenements in other parts of Abra that are farther away from the airstrike-affected areas. (See MGB Public Portal)

The recent airstrikes in Abra and Ilocos Sur also represent the 14th recorded instance of targeting communities opposed to environmentally harmful projects. In total, we have documented 14 cases impacting almost 100,000 civilians and endangering 10 ecologically fragile Key Biodiversity Areas across various regions.

Air strikes and bombings, which are carried out routinely during military operations of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) across the country since July 2022 (the start of Pres. Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s administration), have put at least 62 different endemic species and over half a million hectares of Key Biodiversity Areas and other protected sites at risk.

The strikes we have documented occurred in Abra, Kalinga, Ilocos Sur, Cagayan Valley, Masbate, Mindoro Island (both Oriental and Occidental), Negros Island (both Oriental and Occidental), Iloilo, Mount Hilong-Hilong on the boundaries of Agusan del Norte, del Sur, and Surigao del Sur, and Malaybalay, Bukidnon. The most recent strike did not occur in a Key Biodiversity Area. (See attached table, Documented incidents of bombing/air strikes/strafing under BBM admin)

Moreover, these bombings are not isolated incidents but part of a troubling trend observed across the country. Similar airstrikes in Escalante City, Negros Occidental, and San Joaquin, Iloilo, just two months ago in February, forcibly displaced dozens of families and instilled fear and trauma among villagers. The military has justified these strikes as responses to encounters with rebels, but local NPA commands have refuted this, highlighting the indiscriminate nature of these attacks.

Bombings and aerial strikes endanger the lives of community members and pose significant environmental risks, including habitat destruction, pollution of air, soil, and water, disruption of ecological processes, and damage to cultural heritage sites.

Additionally, these actions are part of the government’s “whole-of-nation” approach, launched by the National Task Force to End Local Communist Conflict when it was established in November 2018. This militaristic approach undermines community rights and environmental preservation efforts and exacerbates conflicts stemming from social injustice.

In the hostile environment created by this approach, 23 environmental defenders have also fallen victim to extrajudicial killings under the Marcos Jr. administration alone, predominantly land defenders in farming communities.

The Environmental Defenders Congress calls upon the Marcos Jr. administration to order the armed forces to immediately cease its use of indiscriminate bombing and aerial attacks, particularly in Key Biodiversity Areas.We urge the government to undertake robust and independent research to investigate the ecological impacts of bombing, airstrikes, and other military operations. Meanwhile, indiscriminate aerial strikes and bombing in ecologically fragile regions should be banned.

Furthermore, we advocate the resumption of peace negotiations with insurgents to address the root causes of armed conflict and to foster sustainable solutions that prioritize human rights and environmental conservation.

We stand firm in our commitment to safeguarding both the environment and the well-being of all Filipino citizens. ###