The Fausto family of Sitio Cangkiling, Barangay Buenavista, Himamaylan City fell victim to a massacre allegedly carried out by members of the 94th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army. Roly Fausto (55), his wife Emelda Fausto (50), and their two children, Ben Fausto (15) and Ravin Fausto (12), were found dead in their own home on the night of June 14, 2023.

According to reports from human rights group Septemeber 21 Movement, the massacre serves as the culmination of a series of incidents involving alleged physical and mental torture, grave coercion, and illegal searches targeting the Fausto family, who were active members of the Baclayan, Bito, Cabagal Farmers and Farmworkers Association (BABICAFA) and church members of the Iglesia Filipina Independiente (IFI).

The Fausto family’s ordeal began on March 22, 2022, when Emelda Fausto, while returning from the laundry, encountered a group of armed men in military uniform and civilians around their house.

Around 12 individuals, purportedly soldiers, subjected her to intense interrogation and even resorted to brandishing a knife in front of her. The soldiers proceeded to ransack the house and slaughtered their chickens. Emelda later discovered that her P5,000, hidden in folded clothes, had mysteriously vanished.

Later that day, Roly Fausto, upon returning from work on the farm, also became a target of the soldiers’ relentless interrogation. They coerced him into accompanying them to a vacant hut located 500 meters away from their house.

Once there, Roly was seated, tied up with a belt around his neck, and repeatedly pressured to confess his affiliation with the New People’s Army (NPA). He endured physical abuse, including being kicked in the shoulders. Hours later, he was brought back to their home, where he was held until 7 p.m. before being transferred to a military detachment in Barangay Hilamonan, Kabankalan City.

The abuse continued as Roly was further questioned and subjected to slapping. The soldiers forced him to assist them in their operations throughout the night.

The Fausto family’s troubles persisted in the following months. On May 15, 2023, Emelda Fausto sought assistance from the September 21 Movement to report two instances of their house being forcibly opened and ransacked. The family discovered muddy footprints on the door wall, indicating a forceful entry during the May 4, 2023 incident. Their belongings were scattered throughout the house, revealing a blatant violation of their privacy.

“We condemn the brutal massacre. Those responsible must be held accountable. It is inhumanity and savagery in modern society in a country that is signatory to international instruments on human rights,” HRAN said in a statement. 

“Under Marcos rule the Philippine Army [have] become the murderers of the people in the countrysides reminiscent of the brutal rule of his dictator father,” HRAN concluded.