The Alsa Masa was a rightwing vigilante group[1][2] in the Philippines initially formed in early 1984 specifically to combat the New People's Army in Barangay Agdao, Davao City.

[3] By the early 1980s, there had been about a decade of conflict between the Martial Law regime of President Ferdinand Marcos and the New People's Army of the Marxist–Leninist-Maoist Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP).

The CPP was established during the time of Marcos' first term as president by remnants of an earlier Marxist–Leninist party which had effectively been defeated by prior Presidential administrations.

[7][8] Marcos played up the then still newly-formed Communist Party of the Philippines to help justify the declaration of Martial Law,[7][9]: "43"  but this had the effect of mythologizing the group and making it easier to recruit Filipinos fleeing the administration's political suppression, or angered by the regime's numerous human rights abuses.

[14] During 1982, Marcos' forces gained several significant victories against the CPP in Mindanao, notably the death of prominent party thinker and idealogue Edgar Jopson in September.

"[6] In 1984, rightwing vigilantes headed by Marcos supporter and barangay chairman of Agdao, Wilfredo “Baby” Aquino[21] formed the armed group "Alsa Masa" (lit.

The group's spokesperson was Jun Pala, who later denounced the movement for its failure to solve the underlying causes of the insurgency and for allegedly recruiting "hoodlums, snatchers, holdup men” and other people with criminal records" with the approval of the military.