“He needs immediate medical attention for injuries and trauma allegedly sustained during his detention.”
Release him now!
Indigenous Mangyan farmer and organizer Miguel Magbata was reportedly beaten and tortured while in military custody after his arrest in Bulalacao, Oriental Mindoro, on October 14, prompting human rights groups to call for his immediate release and to hold accountable those responsible.
According to Karapatan Southern Tagalog, Magbata was arrested after a reported armed encounter between the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and alleged New People’s Army (NPA) members in Sitio Badyang, Barangay San Roque in Bulalacao. He was reportedly subjected to physical abuse and interrogation by the 1st Infantry Battalion (IB) under the command of the 203rd Infantry Brigade (IBde).
After days of uncertainty over his whereabouts, reports emerged that Magbata was transferred to Roxas Municipal Police Station. Defend Mindoro said that he needs immediate medical attention for injuries and trauma allegedly sustained during his detention.
The group also raised concerns over a Facebook post from 203rd Infantry Brigade of Philippine Army about Magbata’s children and family, published without their consent, which it said could compromise their safety.
Despite his reported transfer to police custody, the military reportedly sought to retain custody of Magbata. Defend Mindoro demanded his immediate release and called for accountability from the 203rd IBde led by Brig. Gen. Melencio Ragudo, and the 1st IB, under Lt. Col. Edwin Mirador.
Red-tagging, militarization
Defend Mindoro said that Magbata’s case shows a pattern of harassment and abuses against Indigenous Peoples, farmers, and community organizers in Mindoro where those asserting their rights are often accused of links to the communist armed movement.
The group cited the killings of Indigenous and peasant individuals Jay-el Maligday, Hulyo Agtay, and Juan Sumilhig which it attributed to military abuses. It also stressed the case of Dolores Solangon, an elderly Mangyan-Iraya woman who reportedly endured illegal arrest and nine hours of torture at the hands of elements from the 76th IB.
Maligday, a young Hanunuo-Mangyan, was allegedly killed by soldiers of the 4th IB while sleeping in his home. The same unit was accused of beating another Hanunuo-Mangyan, Minggo, in Mansalay early this year.
For Defend Mindoro, these abuses are inseparable from the land disputes and economic hardships confronting Indigenous communities and farmers.
In Bulalacao, the group said that large-scale mining and renewable energy projects threaten ancestral lands and local livelihoods. These include developments associated with CleanTech Global Renewables and Singapore-based The Blue Circle which is reportedly planning an offshore wind project involving 100 turbines across a proposed 40,050-hectare area.
Meanwhile, drought has exacerbated the farmers’ hardship. In 2024, an estimated 864 hectares of farmland in Bulalacao were damaged, resulting in P87 million (US$1.37 million) in agricultural losses and affecting around 1,000 registered farmers, according to Defend Mindoro. With another severe El Niño episode looming, communities face renewed threats of crop failure and water shortage.
The group criticized the government for prioritizing counterinsurgency operations over addressing rural poverty, landlessness, and the climate crisis. It said that militarization further endangers communities already struggling to protect their livelihoods and ancestral territories.
Accountability
Defend Mindoro demanded an independent investigation into the allegations of torture and illegal detention. Torture is prohibited under international law and civilians must be protected from violence and cruel treatment in situations of armed conflict.
The group held the 203rd IBde and the Marcos Jr. administration accountable for the alleged violations, calling for an end to military harassment of Indigenous Peoples and farmers.
For Defend Mindoro, Magbata’s case underscores the dangers faced by community organizers defending the rights of rural communities. “No allegation of insurgency can justify torture or the denial of due process,” the group wrote in a statement. (DAA)
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