Women from Barangay (Brgy) 175, Sitio Matarik, Caloocan were alarmed after being summoned to the barangay to clear their names as they were tagged as recruiters of the New People’s Army (NPA).
On October 27, Gabriela Matarik chairperson Mary Anne Duque received information from Yule Muit, their homeowner’s association president, that they had been invited to the barangay to meet with the barangay captain, who was demanding an explanation regarding the circulating allegations.
However, upon arriving at the barangay, they were surprised to find that the captain did not show up. Instead, four soldiers from the 12th Civil Military Operations “Kapatiran” (CMO) Battalion were present.
The soldiers have been stationed in Brgy 175 in Caloocan for about three months now, according to Brgy Kagawad Ronald Onad San Miguel.
Notably, the presence of the 12th CMO, along with the 11th CMO “Kaugnayan” Battalion, had already been documented as early as 2023 with deployments in Tondo, Quezon City, and other urban poor communities across Metro Manila.
The familiar script of red-tagging
“The military said they saw a photo of Gabriela Matarik and asked why Gabriela was here in the community. I said it was because of ayuda (aid) distribution at that time, that’s why there was a meeting,” said Duque.
At 1 PM, Duque arrived with five members of Gabriela Matarik at the barangay. For Duque, there was no issue in explaining their side against such allegations, though she found it questionable why they even needed to explain in the first place.
The 12th CMO Battalion, through by 2nd Lt. Julie San Jose, showed her several photos and asked if she could recognize or identify the individuals in them. The said soldier also mentioned several names, but Duque said she did not recognize any of them.
This alarmed Duque, pondering on how the soldiers had obtained their photos.
Not long after, the soldiers began discussing that groups such as Gabriela, ACT Teachers Party, and other progressive organizations are fronts of the NPA.
“They said that’s how they recruit to go to the mountains. They directly mentioned recruiting for NPA. The woman soldier, the one in the middle, was the one who said it,” Duque recounted, referring to San Jose as the soldier in the photo.
The meeting lasted for about an hour. They were also told that another meeting would be called for what was described as an “oathtaking.” This was the time when Duque and the others became alarmed once again.
“I said, ‘Why do we have to take an oath when we haven’t violated anything?’ That’s why we were so scared then. Also, just before the meeting ended, they handed us an attendance sheet to sign. But we refused to sign as it might be used against us,” Duque said.
Such tactics from the military, particularly the so-called oathtaking, are nothing new.
Last February 19, activist Enrique Lozada Jr. filed a complaint at the Commission on Human Rights due to intimidation and surveillance following the military deployment in Tondo, Manila. Lozada was even forced to surrender and sign the Oath of Allegiance and Pledge of Commitment (OOA-PC).
Since 2023, several women in Tondo have been forcibly made to take the OOA-PC to supposedly “clear their names.” They were even offered housing, livelihood, and other incentives in exchange for signing the document.
“After the meeting, I told them, let’s not attend anymore if they call us again,” Duque said.
How long has the 12th CMO been staying in Brgy 175?
“It’s only been about a month since they were introduced to us, but they’ve actually been here for around two to three months already. I know they are now just securing a certificate stating that the person they’re looking for is a non-resident because they can’t find that individual,” shared Kagawad Ronaldo San Miguel, who has spoken with the groups after the protest held in front of Brgy. 175 on October 29.
In that same meeting, he mentioned that the person being sought was Eufemia “Ka Mimi” Pet Doringo of KADAMAY.
“They’re looking for someone from Camarin Residences. Mimi, right? The one who ran for senator before? That’s all I know,” the kagawad said.
Ka Mimi is a known urban poor leader and the secretary-general of KADAMAY. She was also part of the Makabayan senatorial slate for the 2025 elections.
When asked about his view on the operations of the 12th CMO in the area, San Miguel said there might have been issues regarding its implementation.
“It may be right for them, but for some, it’s not,” he said. San Miguel also serves as the chairperson of the Committee on Human Rights and Justice of Barangay 175.
In the end, he affirmed to take prompt action and convene a meeting to shed light on the issue.
Meanwhile, Karapatan National Capital Region (NCR) condemned the intimidation, surveillance, and red-tagging by the 12th CMO Battalion against Gabriela Matarik and other progressive groups and individuals, including Ka Mimi.
“The Supreme Court itself has ruled that red-tagging poses a threat to life. Red-tagging often becomes a precursor to rampant attacks such as illegal arrests and killings. What’s more alarming is that when red-tagging happens after such incidents, it is then used to justify them. It even kills a person’s dignity because you’re immediately branded a terrorist,” said Juan Gabriel Carmen of Karapatan NCR.
Defend Caloocan Human Rights also urged residents to remain vigilant and not be swayed by the deception and disinformation spread by the military and NTF-ELCAC.
“In the coming days, they will place Gabriela Matarik under intense surveillance and convince members to surrender or return to the fold to the government in exchange for dole-outs under the Barangay Development Fund, even though they are not members of the NPA,” the group warned.
Under the 2026 National Expenditure Program (NEP), the proposed budget for the NTF-ELCAC’s Barangay Development Program (BDP) has increased by P8.1 billion, from P1.95 billion in 2025, despite strong calls from various sectors to abolish or defund the program due to its record of red-tagging and abuse.
Defend Caloocan further called for an immediate investigation by Caloocan mayor Dale Gonzalo “Along” Rigor Malapitan and the Commission on Human Rights into the harassment and intimidation committed by the 12th CMO Battalion. They also urged authorities to pull out the soldiers currently deployed in their barangay.
 175, Sitio Matarik, Caloocan were alarmed after being summoned to the barangay to clear their names as they were tagged as recruiters of the New People’s Army (NPA).){kind=link}