On January 28, at around 11 a.m., two members of multimedia group UMANI Productions joined a team of peasant advocates to document the series of harassment against farmers in Sitio Ricafort, Barangay Tungkong Mangga, San Jose del Monte, Bulacan.
While members of the team were interviewing the families whose homes were demolished that week, four men brandishing firearms arrived and immediately left. After around 15 minutes, more than ten men whose faces were covered with bonnets and masks and armed with handguns and high-powered rifles came running toward the group. The men started firing their guns, causing the team members to flee for safety.
The men continued firing as they chased the farmers and members of the fact-finding team, including one of the videographers of UMANI Productions, Manuel Garcellano.
When Garcellano stopped running, two men tried to grab his mirrorless camera, and as he struggled, he was punched in the face, causing his nose to bleed. The men took his camera, along other equipment such as SD cards, audio recorder, mic and cables. His personal stuff, including IDs, ATM cards, keys and cash were taken. The men also destroyed his monopad before they left.