Toto Patigas, an activist with the left-wing Bayan Muna party and a councilor of the city of Escalante, was hit on the head from behind while he was riding his scooter. This is the third attack on activists of the party since the murder of Randy Malayo in January

On January 30, Randy Felix Malayao, a peace consultant of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDF), was shot dead by unknown assassins. He was involved in negotiations between the NDF and the Rodrigo Duterte government

The third extension to martial law was approved by parliament on December 12 and seeks to “combat ‘extremists,’ specifically the banned Maoist group, the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), and its extended guerila and political apparatus.”