MANILA, Philippines – Filipino Protestant churches denounced the aerial strafing and bombing conducted by the Philippine military in a coastal town, on an island south of Manila, on New Year’s Day.

The National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP), the largest group of non-Catholic Christian churches in the Philippines, also called for the immediate release of a 24-year-old Filipino-American activist who went missing after the January 1 bombing. The activist Chantal Anicoche, who was found a week later, is now in military custody.

The attack on Abra de Ilog town, in Occidental Mindoro province, formed part of the Philippine government’s efforts to crush the longest-running communist insurgency in Asia: the nearly 60-year-old armed struggle by the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA).

Violent anti-insurgency efforts have often been met with opposition by religious and human rights groups, including the Catholic Church, citing disastrous effects on local communities.

Catholic and Protestant groups have pushed for peace talks between the Philippine government and the CPP-NPA. However, former president Rodrigo Duterte, who is detained in The Hague for alleged crimes against humanity, ended such negotiations in 2017.

In its statement on Tuesday, the NCCP urged “the complete cessation of state operations that threaten the security and safety of local civilians, and devastate communities of indigenous people and farmers” in Abra de Ilog.

The council said the New Year’s Day attack is “a clear and forceful violation” of International Humanitarian Law, which requires parties to an armed conflict “to distinguish between combatants and civilians.”

The Protestant churches noted that the attack resulted in the death of an independent researcher who reportedly died of an illness during the bombings, as well as the killing of at least three children from an indigenous tribe. The bombing also “endangered and displaced” around 700 residents.

The mayor of Abra de Ilog denied the reported deaths of three indigenous children, the Inquirer news website reported on Thursday.

“We strongly condemn all forms of violence that gravely undermine the rights, security, and human dignity of the people,” said the NCCP.

“We also join the family, friends, and colleagues of Chantal Anicoche in their call for her immediate release. There is no lawful or justifiable reason for the state to continue holding her because no charges have been brought against her,” the Protestant churches said.

The NCCP likewise called for the resumption of peace talks between the Philippine government and communist insurgents, “because this will resolve the roots of deeply rooted socioeconomic and political grievances.”

Crux sought the comment of the Roman Catholic Apostolic Vicariate of San Jose, which has jurisdiction over Occidental Mindoro, and the local San Rafael Arcangel Parish; however, Catholic authorities have not responded to our requests as of posting time.

In the face of accusations over the Abra de Ilog attack, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) rejected “misleading narratives” and asserted that they conducted these security operations in line with their constitutional mandate.

AFP spokesperson Colonel Francel Margareth Padilla said on Tuesday that they pursued these operations “based on verified intelligence regarding the presence of armed elements of the New People’s Army who were planning to conduct atrocities in the area.”

Padilla said that Anicoche, the Filipino-American activist who earlier went missing, was found by government troops on Jan. 8 within the area of the encounter. This was “after she had been left behind by fleeing NPA elements.” Anicoche “was found weak and in urgent need of medical attention,” and was immediately brought to the hospital for humanitarian assistance.

The AFP spokesperson said Anicoche formally filed an undertaking, in the presence of an independent lawyer, “signifiying her voluntary decision to remain at the hospital to continue her medical procedures.”

“The AFP categorically rejects accusations and misleading narratives regarding this incident. These claims distort the facts and seek to undermine legitimate security operations carried out in defense of peace and public safety,” Padilla said.