THE AFP’s LIES WILL ALWAYS FAIL!
RELEASE CHANTAL FROM AFP CUSTODY! DEFEND FILIPINO WOMEN ACTIVISTS! HINDI KRIMEN UMUWI!
Amanda Echanis's freedom and dropping of all trumped-up charges is not just a victory for herself alone; it is undeniable proof that the Armed Forces of the Philippines willingly and rampantly lies about women activists and human rights defenders to hide their heinous crimes.
On Dec. 2, 2020, elements of the Philippine National Police and AFP raided a home Echanis stayed in. They falsely accused her of illegal possession of firearms and arrested her while she was breastfeeding her one-month-old infant. The court proceedings raised major doubt on the absence of tangible evidence against Echanis, failure from the PNP to abide with Rules of Court, and irregularities in the investigation conducted by the police. Although the raid commenced at 5 AM, a formal search was not conducted until 8:30 AM. In that window of time, masked and armed men entered the house to place a yellow sack containing rifles by a bedroom door.
This is the truth: the AFP and PNP planted evidence against Amanda Echanis, lied in the courtrooms, jailed an innocent woman, and separated her from her child for 5 years. Why would they commit such despicable acts? It is to silence the Filipino masses and to scare them from speaking up for their rights.
We have seen time and time again that the Philippine military and police have no consideration for the rights or lives of Filipino women. In the case of our dear friend, Chantal, we have reason to believe they are lying about their "rescue operation" and distracting the masses from human rights violated on Jan. 1 in Occidental Mindoro.
The AFP killed five civilians that day, three were Mangyan-Iraya children and two youth, and displaced 188 families. They caused terror in a civilian community, dropping 12 bombs and indiscriminately firing into the community. How can we trust the AFP to tell the truth about Chantal when they have the blood of the people on their hands?
The AFP and PNP have lied about Filipino women activists and have been refuted time and time again. In 2023, the AFP fabricated lies about two young women and environmental activists, Jhed Tamano and Jonila Castro, and forced them to "surrender" as rebels through a press conference. Instead of following AFP threats, they revealed the truth: that they were kidnapped and psychologically tortured by the AFP. The AFP even tried to sue them for defamation, and this effort failed.
Frenchie Mae Cumpio, a woman journalist, is still in prison for almost 6 years now and just had 2 trumped up charges dropped last November. She is not alone. Since 2020, there have been 25 activists acquitted/cleared of illegal possession of firearms and explosives since 2020 that stemmed from the planting of evidence by the PNP/AFP. Most political prisoners spend at least 5 years in detention. There are currently 136 women political prisoners in the Philippines, of all ages and backgrounds, who are being held on various baseless charges.
There is nothing wrong or illegal about helping the people, especially those from the poorest and marginalized sectors. There is also nothing wrong or illegal with Filipinos from the diaspora returning home to learn about the conditions Filipinos face. However the Philippine state, who defends only the rights and interests of big landlords, foreign and large corporations and bureaucrat capitalists, views women organizing themselves against land-grabbing, exploitation and plunder as a threat to their profits.
Chantal remaining in AFP custody is of great concern to us. There is no legal basis for her to be held by the military and she must be immediately allowed to access lawyers, humanitarian aid and medical support apart from the Philippine state. We do not buy into the lies spouted by the AFP, who have been proven wrong countless times, and urgently call for Chantal's release.
TAKE ACTION FOR CHANTAL
Sign the petition & share widely! - tinyurl.com/chantal-petition
Post selfies for Chantal! - Use hashtags: #ReleaseChantal #HindiKrimenUmuwi #DefendMindoro
Advocate for Chantal’s release! - tinyurl.com/chantal-advocacy-toolkit || Host phone/email barrages, urge legislators & other public officials to speak out, and heighten the pressure for Chantal’s immediate release!
Attend upcoming webinars!
ICHRP US: Stop the bombings in Mindoro!
📆 1/17 | 4:00pm PT / 7:00pm ET
🔗 tinyurl.com/stopthebombings-jan17
Malaya Movement USA: Fight fascism!
📆 1/18 | 3:00pm PT / 6:00pm ET
GABRIELA USA: Stories from the Philippines
📆 1/28 | 5:30pm PT / 8:30pm ET
🔗 RSVP coming soon - save the date!