Lason Batch

The Armed Forces of the Philippines suffered the most tragic loss of lives and is considered as one of the highest number of casualties during that era when almost one platoon were all killed in Zamboanga way back in 1987 who were also tagged as the Lason Batch[1] (English: Poison Batch).[2]

About 19 government soldiers died and 140 had fallen ill in the mass poisoning. Those troopers who died during the incident were around 18 to 19 years old, all freshly graduates from their training camp when they were sent to Zamboanga for their first deployment.[3] As soon as they arrived, they decided to conduct a routine road run to be familiar with the place. Unknowingly, the enemies believed to be communist rebels, Moslem separatists, or one of several insurgent terrorist groups on the strife-torn southern island of Mindanao, used the villagers to initiate their brutal attack.[4] While the young troopers were jogging in the area, some civilians offered them cold waters in a cellophane for free not knowing that the ice waters were mixed with a battery solution as poison. The whole platoon size men were all killed instantly and those who made it to the hospital also died painfully mentioning that their internal organs were burnt by the poison.[5]

This incident caused the restriction of all AFP combatants in receiving any food and beverages from civilians.[6]