MANILA — “Manindigan” means to take a stand or to persevere in Filipino.
The new year opened not with reprieve but with a familiar pattern of repression: Military offensives, forced displacement, harassment of rights workers, and court rulings that sent shockwaves through activist and faith-based communities.
Yet amid the losses, human rights defenders insist on pushing forward, refusing to retreat in the face of intimidation.
On January 29, human rights advocates, faith-based organizations, and victim-survivors gathered at Malate Catholic Church under the banner of the “Manindigan” campaign network to strengthen their calls for human rights, peace, and justice.
“This year began in turmoil,” said Gerardo Alminaza, president of Caritas Philippines. “This first month brought many losses for human rights defenders and advocates.”
Alminaza pointed to a string of incidents: Military operations and mass displacement in Mindoro; harassment of human rights workers in Negros; sedition cases against anti-corruption activists; and the conviction of journalist Frenchie Mae Cumpio and church lay worker Marielle Domequil.
Still, he said, the grim tally has been punctuated by hard-won victories.
Among these were the release of peasant organizer and writer Amanda Echanis, the dismissal of the remaining cases against United Methodist Church pastor Rev. Glofie Baluntong, and the acquittal of Cumpio and Domequil on charges of illegal possession of firearms and explosives—though both were convicted in their terrorism financing case.
“When the conviction was announced, it felt like the world turned its back on us again,” said Iris Domequil, the youngest of the Domequil sisters. “We were ready for her freedom. Her continued detention was never part of our plans.”
On January 22, Regional Trial Court Branch 45 convicted Marielle and Frenchie of terrorism financing but they were found innocent in their illegal possession of firearms and explosives case.
Iris was present when the judge announced the decision.
Read: Kin, groups denounce guilty verdict on detained journalist’s case
“Despite everything, we remain hopeful,” she said in Filipino. “The truth will prevail. The Tacloban 5 are human rights workers who serve the marginalized people of Eastern Visayas.”
The clamor echoed beyond Philippine borders. Human rights groups and press freedom watchdog inside and outside the country have denounced the decision and are calling for the freedom of Tacloban 5.
In fact, the Committee to Protect Journalists, Reporters Without Borders, and Free Press Unlimited closely monitored the case and flew to the Philippines to campaign extensively.
Read: Int’l groups call for Cumpio, Domequil release
For Rev. Baluntong, whose four-year legal ordeal recently ended in acquittal, the pattern is unmistakable.
“This shows that our country is not safe for church workers and human rights defenders,” Baluntong said. “These cases are meant to silence dissent. This is an attack on everyone who fights for justice.”
Baluntong had been charged with attempted murder and violations of the Anti-Terrorism Act after an armed encounter in the area where she was providing necrological services for a church member.
The sole piece of evidence cited against her was an alleged “order of battle” that listed her name without substantiation.
Her acquittal, she said, underscored both the cruelty and fragility of trumped-up cases.
“There are trials and hardships, but the victory born of our collective stand—and the freedom of those burdened with these cases—is far greater and far more meaningful,” Baluntong said.
Those who speak out, she added, should not be persecuted but recognized.
“They should be thanked,” she said, “because from these struggles a society can be forged, one that breaks away from structures of impunity and violence and moves toward genuine concern for the people’s welfare. Let us continue to persevere.”
Beyond individual cases, the Manindigan campaign network has also amplified grassroots resistance across the country: The people-led barricades in Dupax del Norte opposing mining exploration by British-owned firm Woggle, the mounting use of what activists call the “twin terror laws”, and the humanitarian situation in Mindoro.
Launched last year, the campaign network is working to hold the administration of Ferdinand Marcos Jr. accountable for continuing human rights violations under his watch.
For its members, the accumulation of cases, arrests, and convictions has only clarified the task ahead. (JDS)
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