THE FAMILY of Aurelio “Boy” Bosque confirmed that he was among the five individuals killed in Barangay Aglonok, Calinog, Iloilo on August 8, following an alleged encounter between the New People’s Army and the combined forces of the 12th, 61st, and 82nd battalions of the Philippine Army.
Boy Bosque, who served as a spokesperson for BAYAN Panay in the mid-2000s, began his journey as an activist while working at a sugar refinery in Calinog, Iloilo. His experiences there led him to become a staunch advocate for sugar workers’ rights and eventually a labor leader as regional coordinator and spokesperson of Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) Panay from 1996 and spokesperson for Bayan Panay.
Boy’s choice to take a different path was a personal decision, reflecting his commitment to a broader role in serving the people. BAYAN respects and honors his ultimate sacrifice for the cause of the working masses.
The ongoing armed conflict in the Philippines endures because of the deeply rooted oppressive and exploitative conditions in society. Boy recognized the limitations faced by labor unions in achieving substantial gains, such as securing wages enough to provide for one’s family.
This reality is starkly evident today, with the significant gap between the current P480 daily wage and the P1,100 family living wage needed for workers in Western Visayas. This dire situation is mirrored in the worsening plight of farmers, widespread land-use conversion that transforms prime agricultural lands into subdivisions, and the inaccessibility of food for those who produce it. The escalating human rights violations by state forces only exacerbate these issues.
Boy also understood the detrimental impact to the Filipino people from this government’s continued subservience to imperialist nations, particularly the United States, reflected in neoliberal economic policies, repressive laws, and direct US interference in issues concerning the West Philippine Sea. These factors intensify the hardships faced by the Filipino people.
As long as these conditions remain, the armed conflict in the country will continue. The deaths of revolutionaries like Boy Bosque do not signify the end of the revolution — a truth evident in the ongoing struggle of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines despite the countless revolutionary leaders and fighters lost. As long as injustice, poverty, and oppression persist, so too will the desire for a better future.
To address these systemic issues, we urgently call for the resumption of peace talks. The peace process must address the people’s demands and concerns, from genuine agrarian reform, to better working conditions and social services, to respect for human rights including the rights of civilians as well as revolutionaries wounded and captured in battle.
BAYAN and Karapatan Panay condemn the barbaric and inhumane killing of the Aglonok 5, which appears to involve violations of the rights of those persons rendered hors de combat, or those who could no longer take part in the hostilities because they were wounded, captured or any other reason.
The wounds on the bodies of the five victims — front-facing gunshot wounds, suspected stab wounds, bruises, and shattered arms — suggest signs of torture, a clear violation of the laws of war.
We call on the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) and all human rights defenders and advocates to carry out genuine and independent investigations into the killing of the Aglonok 5.
Should such an investigation confirm the suspected violations, this incident would be the latest of a series of state-perpetrated breaches of human rights and humanitarian law that took place in Panay, from the Antique 7 massacre in 2018 to the Tumandok 9 massacre of 2020 and the numerous other killings of peasant leaders, like John Farochilin, and bombings of civilian communities.
It is a mistake for the government to believe that the NDFP can be defeated by committing violations of the laws of war, either against civilians, captured fighters or persons hors de combat. Injustices only serve to fuel and intensify the revolutionary flame, and that flame will continue to burn – brightly and proudly – as long as there are people, like Boy Bosque, who are willing to devote their lives to serving the Filipino masses.
Long Live Comrade Boy Bosque!
Resume Peace Talks Now! – BAYAN PANAY and PANAY ALLIANCE KARAPATAN <bayanpanay2014@gmail.com>
