Human rights group Karapatan Southern Tagalog has condemned the illegal arrest of Filipino-American activist Cristina Pasion and Indigenous organizer Binay Serrano following a military and police operation in Cabuyao, Laguna on July 30.
Pasion and Serrano were undergoing medical treatment when soldiers from the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ (AFP) 68th Infantry Battalion and 203rd Infantry Brigade, assisted by personnel from the Philippine National Police’s Regional Mobile Force Battalion Region 4A and PNP San Jose, Occidental Mindoro, allegedly forced open the door of their apartment and arrested them at around 6:00 a.m.
In a statement, the group said that authorities were attempting to link the two to the New People’s Army (NPA) without evidence.
According to the group, Serrano is a Mangyan-Buhid Indigenous leader and organizer of the Bigkis at Lakas ng mga Katutubo sa Timog Katagalugan (BALATIK), while Pasion is a Filipino-American activist who returned to the Philippines to work with peasant and indigenous Mangyan communities in Southern Tagalog.
“Both are civilian organizers working alongside farmers and Indigenous peoples. Efforts to portray them as members of armed groups are baseless,” Karapatan Southern Tagalog said.
The organization reported that lawyers and paralegals from a Quick Response Team, including members of the National Union of People’s Lawyers (NUPL), were able to meet Pasion and verify her condition. However, the whereabouts of Serrano remain unknown.
“Until Binay Serrano is surfaced, there are serious concerns that she may be subjected to intense interrogation, intimidation, or even torture,” the group said, noting that local police and Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) offices had denied having custody of her.
‘Overkill’ military offensive
Karapatan Southern Tagalog also condemned the military operation conducted a day earlier in Barangay Del Pilar, Naujan, Oriental Mindoro, where clashes reportedly took place between the New People’s Army and combined forces of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, including the 76th Infantry Battalion, 203rd Infantry Brigade, and the 2nd Infantry Division.
The group described the operation as an “overkill” military offensive that resulted in the deaths of three alleged NPA fighters and the displacement of residents. It also accused government forces of using armored vehicles and forcing civilians to evacuate their communities.
“These incidents show the administration’s disregard for human rights. It is civilians, people like Cristina Pasion, Binay Serrano, and the residents of Naujan, who are being victimized by military and police operations, not the corrupt officials responsible for the people’s suffering,” Karapatan said.
The rights group further criticized the Marcos Jr. administration for continuing what it described as a policy of militarization and repression despite promises made during the president’s recent State of the Nation Address.
“Instead of addressing the roots of poverty and injustice, the government continues to rely on armed force to suppress communities,” the organization stated.
Karapatan Southern Tagalog reiterated that civilians must be protected during armed conflict in accordance with international humanitarian law and called on the Commission on Human Rights and other independent bodies to conduct an autonomous investigation into the military operations in Naujan.
