A disturbing increase in the number of minors being victims of state-related violence has been noted by Sandatahang Dahas in its August 2025 monitoring.
On Aug. 1, two 17-year old female students in General Santos were raped by a police master sergeant and a police senior master sergeant from the Highway Patrol Group-SOCCSKSARGEN (HPG-12). The two girls were arrested by the HPG-12 police for a traffic violation. They were then brought to a secluded area where they were abused. The suspects are now relieved from their posts and placed under restrictive custody. The recent surge in crimes victimizing students from their same academic institution has sparked urgent calls for local government to ensure the safety of youth.
On Aug. 3 in Brgy. Marigondon, Lapu-Lapu City in Cebu, three teenagers—two unnamed males and one female—were assaulted by Patrolman Celso Perecio Jr. The police officer was allegedly drunk during the incident, and tried to drown the minors without provocation. At the time of his arrest, he was set to be charged with violating Republic Act 7610, the law against child abuse, as well as a separate administrative complaint.
As disturbing as the violence against minors, on Aug. 17, a policewoman stationed in Marikina reported two police officers that sexually assaulted her inside a patrol car in Barangay Sto. Niño. The policemen are now under investigation by the National Police Commission for alleged rape and acts of lasciviousness. The Marikina police chief has also been relieved from his post following this incident.
Deadly month of August
August marked the deadliest month of the year so far in terms of state-related killings. Forty-nine were killed and 36 were injured. Of the 49 killed, 21 were alleged insurgents.
The Sandatahang Dahas (Armed Violence) Project is a monthly monitor by the UP Third World Studies Center on reported state-related violence. Specifically, this pertains to killings and injuries caused by and inflicted on duly-designated gun-bearing members of law enforcement organizations or a public security agent in the Philippines.
Though President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. declared in his State of the Nation Address (SONA) that there are no more guerilla groups in the country, the number of persons killed and injured in counterinsurgency operations only continued to rise in August compared to the month before. In July, 19 were killed and three were injured in such operations; in August, 27 were killed and eight were injured.
In addition to armed clashes, August also saw a noticeable surge in vulnerable victims, particularly minors. In comparison with the previous months, sexual violence done by state agents also increased, with three victims of rape in South Cotabato and Marikina City.
State forces continue to account for the majority of assailants in August. The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) caused the highest numbers of fatalities, taking the lives of 21 alleged insurgents in forces operations. Sixteen of the casualties were from the New People’s Army (NPA), three were members of Dawlah Islamiyah, while the other two were identified as being members of both Dawlah Islamiyah and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF).
Two incidents stand out this month as contested cases. On August 1, Juan Sumilhig, a Maranao farmer, was killed in an alleged “fake encounter” with the military in Mindoro. Karapatan Southern Tagalog claimed that he was an unarmed civilian. Kapatiran ng mga Dating Rebelde (KADRE)-MIMAROPA said he was an NPA member.
A week after Sumilhig’s death, two alleged NPA insurgents, Ising Domingo alias “Ka Mutya” and Jomari Palomar alias “Ka Jonnel,” were killed in Roxas, Oriental Mindoro in a military operation on Aug. 7. Again, Karapatan Southern Tagalog doubts that the encounter and the killings of the alleged insurgent were legitimate. Not denying that the fatalities were NPA members, Karapatan Southern Tagalog alleges that Domingo was caught alive, tortured, then killed by the military. The military denies this.
On Aug. 13, four alleged members of the New People’s Army were killed in Barangay Dumalaguing, Impasug-ong, Bukidnon. The operation extended up to three days, and killed another two in the same region, reaching up to six killed alleged insurgents. This marks as the largest fatality count of alleged insurgents in a single operation this month.
Civilians killed ranked second after alleged insurgents, totalling 16 cases. Two of those were killed in drug-related operations done against civilians in Maguindanao del Sur and Cotabato. Last Aug. 5, a civilian named John Paul Magat died in police custody after allegedly being manually strangulated by Pasay police personnel. As a result, 13 police officers were axed for their alleged involvement. Two drug-related cases involved the death of both civilians. On Aug. 27, a drug suspect with an alias “Allan/Dhats” was killed in a drug buy-bust joint operation of PDEA-AFP-PNP. Alias “Allan” was classified as a high-value individual.
The other was a similar drug-related circumstance in Midsayap, Cotabato. As the police were about to serve a search warrant, someone opened fire within the house. PNP returned fire, killing an unnamed man. The man was a companion of the suspect, which was the subject of the warrant. The surviving suspect was then arrested, along with confiscation of suspected shabu sachets worth more than PHP 68,000.00, pistols, and ammunition.
Haciendero killed
Another notable case is the killing of Philip George Vail Sr., a haciendero-businessman who was shot by a gunman named Vannie “Dodoy” Galagate. Bystander Stephen Tuanes was also injured by a stray bullet. The police eventually fatally shot Galagate after he opened fire against them during a hot pursuit. Authorities are looking into land conflict or property dispute as the possible motives as Vail had many properties in the area.
On the other side of the forces operations, six alleged insurgents and four civilians killed police and military personnel across different cases. On Aug. 12, three soldiers of the Philippine Army were killed and three were wounded in a clash that lasted for more than an hour against NPA members in Baco, Oriental Mindoro. The three Philippine Army personnel were Capt. Marky John Alberto, Pvt. Julian Oracion, and Cpl. Charlie Lagasi of the First Scout Ranger Regiment.
One notable case is a policeman who was stabbed inside his home. PFC Raffy Bitancor was stabbed on his birthday, August 17, in Barangay Manga, Pagadian City, Zamboanga Del Sur. The person of interest was a barangay tanod who drank with Bitancol and his friends during the celebration and who fled after the incident.
In Surigao del Sur, Pat. Jankent Tuazon of the 1301st Maneuver Company, who was electrocuted during a raid last July 25. Patrolman Tuazon was about to serve a search warrant against a certain alias “Luisa” for violating Republic Act 10591 or the “Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act.” “Luisa” intentionally activated an electric fence system that electrocuted Tuazon. Tuazon passed away on Aug. 10 while receiving treatment, while the suspect was arrested with an additional criminal case filed in connection to the incident.
Like last month, there are also reports of police killings even outside of official operations. Patrolman Orland Porquido Dinoy shot his live-in partner, Mealjoy Basilgo La Peña, in close range, and injured her mother Mirla, last August 31 at Brgy. Zone 3, Digos City, Davao del Sur. The drunk policeman was immediately cornered and disarmed by the police and barangay officials who responded, and is currently detained in a police detention facility. As of September 2, Mirla was reportedly in critical condition.
Twelve police and military personnel were killed, mostly during operations. In Barangay 90, Pasay City, Police Staff Sergeant Jomar Caliguiran was killed after being robbed by alias “Bayona” at around 8:00 in the evening of Aug. 23. As of this writing, the authorities are conducting a manhunt operation to track the suspect. A similar case was recorded on Aug. 1, when Lt. Dexter Pascua was shot 8 times by alleged robbers in Barangay San Isidro, Makati City. He survived the attack.
In terms of gender the persons killed were 42 men, five women, and two of unreported sex. Police and military personnel were the main perpetrators, totalling 14 cases; 11 of those were against civilians. State agents also injured three fellow gun-bearing officers in two separate cases, particularly in NCR.
On Aug. 19, a police officer and a Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) jail guard injured each other in Barangay Payatas, Quezon City after the police officer allegedly tried to shoot the jail guard out of jealousy. The argument started when the police officer caught the BJMP personnel drinking with the former’s live-in partner, leading to a heated fight. Both officers face criminal charges following the incident.
Foreigners involved
Cases involving injured civilian foreigners were also recorded this month. On Aug. 5, Dutch national Christian Sebastian Schepers was on his way to the airport, assisted by Patrolman Glenn Jeremy Collado who was giving him directions. When Schepers got into an altercation with a pedicab driver named Raul Cabahug Kidat, he tried to grab Collado’s sidearm, eventually discharging the gun and hitting Collado. Despite his injuries, Collado shot Schepers and subdued him. Schepers was detained by the police. News accounts stated that preparations were being made to him with frustrated murder and frustrated homicide.
In another incident, an American national named Kenny Foster was assaulted by Police Corporal Marcelo “Siloy” Olaer, who was reportedly intoxicated during the incident which occurred on Aug. 11, in Guindulman Public Market in Bohol. In a Facebook post of Foster elaborating on the incident, the officer pulled him over and suddenly pushed Foster and grabbed his firearm. Olaer taunted and swore at Foster and his Filipino wife who was with their child, and allegedly kicked their motorcycle. The policeman continued to swear at the family, punched Foster in the ribcage, and pushed him a few times more. Two days later, Olaer went to what he thought was Foster’s house and started running amok, injuring an unnamed civilian and killing a dog in the process.
Foster has then filed a formal complaint against the incident, and Lieutenant Colonel Norman Nuez has admitted that this is not the first complaint against Olaer. The policeman’s issued firearms were confiscated. Media accounts noted that he may be placed under camp restriction.
Patterns of cause of killings and injuries
Mirroring earlier trends in the Sandatahang Dahas monitor, law enforcement operations by state forces account for most killings and injuries in August. Out of 49 killings, 43 were in the hands of state forces, specifically: 18 were killed in operations by the armed forces, 14 by the police, and five in operations where the combined forces came from the AFP, PNP, and PDEA. Four deaths were from attacks against the police and military, one death in police custody, and one case categorized as domestic violence.
Out of 36 cases of injuries, 14 were committed by law enforcement officers (13 by the police and one by a jail officer) mainly against civilians, except in three cases where armed state actors injured each other. Of the remaining cases, law enforcement officers were the victims in attacks by civilians (11 cases), alleged insurgents (8 cases), and unidentified armed groups (3 cases).
Civilians accounted for the second highest number of inflicted injuries in incidents of state-related violence. All 11 injuries caused by civilians were committed against the police, with nine of them inflicted during operations mostly conducted in the Mindanao region. On Aug. 14, two police officers were injured while two security guards were killed in a shootout during a raid on a businessman’s compound in Makilala, Cotabato. Cpl. Jayson Jungco and Pat. Christian Neyra of the Regional Mobile Force Battalion 12 were serving a search warrant for illegal possession of firearms when the exchange of gunfire erupted.
This left two security guards dead and the two police officers wounded. The authorities were able to arrest the businessman and recover grenades, high-powered firearms, and ammunition from the site.
Alleged insurgents and unidentified armed groups account for eight and three cases of injurious violence respectively. All eight alleged insurgents had injured military personnel across the BARMM, MIMAROPA, and Western Visayas, and Bicol regions. Also in BARMM, three members from unidentified armed groups had injured unnamed military personnel during a 20-minute gunfight in Basilan, which resulted in heightened military presence during the search for perpetrators.
An attack against an army establishment was also recorded. On Aug. 6, unidentified gunmen fired assault rifles and grenade projectiles at an army outpost in Campo Uno in Lamitan City, Basilan. A corporal and two privates were wounded in the gunfight. The gunmen escaped and are currently being hunted down by the police.
Injured persons for this month total 36, 23 of which are male, five female, and eight of unreported sex.
Violence in August was most pronounced in Mindanao, which recorded 25 deaths and 17 injuries, totaling to almost half of all the cases (42 out of 85). This continues the region’s trend of being the top hotspot for the majority of Sandatahang Dahas’s monitoring this year. Luzon recorded 16 deaths and 11 injuries, while the Visayas reported eight deaths and eight injuries. Within Luzon, Oriental Mindoro and the National Capital Region had the highest number of casualties with eight each.
Some provinces had their first cases in the Sandatahang Dahas record, particularly Dinagat Islands and Sulu, both in Mindanao. On Aug. 7, Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) – Dinagat Islands Provincial Field Unit (DIPFU) Patrolman Ferry Sida Jaso and LTO job order employee Anjun/Abner Casador became casualties during a surveillance operation in Barangay Sta. Cruz, San Jose, Dinagat Islands. Jaso was a police officer stationed at CIDG-DIPFU, which conducted the operation against Casador due to his alleged involvement in illegal activities. Once the operatives arrived, Casador shot Jaso in the head, which immediately killed him. Patrolman Leonel Estroso retaliated and shot Casador seven times, which caused his death.
In Sulu, a total of six casualties, with two killed and four injured, were recorded. On Aug. 20, a member of the Citizens Armed Forces Geographical Unit (CAFGU) Pacolanan Medalle Jr. and his companion were killed in an ambush in Barangay Chinese Pier, Jolo, Sulu. While the two were riding a motorcycle, unidentified gunmen opened fire, killing them instantly. The assailants fled before authorities could respond. The police are currently in coordination with the victims’ relatives and barangay officials to solve the case.
In the same province, second most wanted criminal Alganer Dahim alias “Wangbu” was killed while four soldiers were injured during a gunfight in Barangay Kapok Punggol, Maimbung on Aug.16. Dahim was linked to the 2009 ambush killing of P/Col. Julasirim Kasim, and the three members of the Amil family. He was also involved in large-scale illegal drug operations in Parang, Indanan and Maimbung. The four injured soldiers were Corporal Richard Sayno, Corporal Harol Ugay, Private First Class Aldwin Renz Dindin, and Private First Class Jumel Tambo-ong. They were airlifted from Sulu later that evening, and are currently receiving treatment.
Capiz
In Capiz, prolonged anti-insurgent operations have been recorded by the Sandatahang Dahas. The operation began last Aug. 22, wherein an unnamed private was wounded in his left shoulder at the tri-boundary of Barangays Agpalali, Artuz, and Tabon in Tapaz during pursuit operations against NPA remnants. On an Aug. 25 encounter, AFP Sergeant Jhon Ray Coopera and an unnamed insurgent were killed in the same location, during the clash with around 10 communist rebels of the dismantled Central Front and Regional Sentro de Grabidad, Komiteng Rehiyon–Panay (KR-P) of the NPA. The first encounter occurred at 7:45 a.m., lasting about 10 minutes before NPA withdrew. A second firefight broke at 10:28 a.m in the same area, killing Coopera after sustaining a fatal gunshot wound on his lower abdomen. Another unnamed sergeant who was also wounded is now recovering in a hospital. An unnamed insurgent of the said group also died in the encounter. The latest flare up was on Sept. 13 resulting in the death of another alleged insurgent.
While Mindanao still has the highest number of cases, the encounters at Tapaz, Capiz shows a trend of armed clashes beyond the Southern Philippines hotspots. In the future months, it will be important to observe how prolonged and intensified anti-insurgency operations, such as in Tapaz, can affect the wider trends of state violence, and might elucidate if this trajectory is an isolated increase or an enduring pattern.
(The authors are student assistants of the Third World Studies Center, College of Social Sciences and Philosophy, University of the Philippines Diliman. Aidrielle Raymundo provided the graphics and additional research assistance. To learn more about Sandatahang Dahas, visit its website and for the latest updates, follow the Dahas Project in these social media platforms: X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, Threads, and Bluesky. Reports for the previous months are available at https://dahas.upd.edu.ph/sd-monthly-reports/.)