HANDS OFF MIKE CABANGON! JUNK THE COMPLAINTS AGAINST MIKE CABANGON!
On February 15, the Philippine National Police’s Crime Investigation Detection Group – Regional Force Unit 14 (PNP-CIDG-RFU14) filed a trumped-up terrorism financing complaint against Mike Cabangon, the spokesperson for Kilusang Mayo Uno’s Cordillera regional chapter. This baseless case—filed under the Terrorism Financing Prevention and Suppression Act of 2012 (Republic Act No. 10168)—is the latest in a series of politically motivated charges targeting activist and NGO leaders in the Cordillera region. Mike Cabangon is now the 12th leader in this region to face such spurious allegations, which are clearly designed to intimidate those advocating for workers’ rights and social justice.
This act of harassment is not merely a legal maneuver but a deliberate strategy by state forces to silence dissent. By accusing labor and human rights defenders of financing terrorism and alleging ties with the New People’s Army (NPA) and the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), the state is hiding under the guise of national security to demonize individuals committed to advocating for the democratic rights of the Filipino masses.
Such actions not only freeze the financial resources of those targeted and burden them with lengthy legal battles, but also directly impede their vital work in defending the rights of marginalized communities. In a country already grappling with chronic poverty, unemployment, and landlessness, this oppressive tactic further deepens socio-economic injustices by diverting state resources away from essential services and economic development.
Under the Marcos Jr. administration, the weaponization of terrorism laws has become a standard tool of repression. Instead of addressing the real issues—rampant poverty, landlessness, unemployment, and the militarization of communities—the government prioritizes the suppression of dissent through its red-tagging schemes and fraudulent charges. The Philippine National Police, acting under directives from a regime that tolerates such abuses, continue to target legitimate advocates for social change. This is not only a betrayal of democratic values but also a direct attack on the right to freedom of expression, association, and decent work.
The Asia Pacific Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines (APCHRP) denounces the trumped-up charges against Cabangon. The APCHRP demands the Marcos Jr. government to dismiss these unfounded and fabricated cases against Cabangon along with the other human rights defenders in Northern Luzon who are also facing unjust persecution like Cordillera Peoples Alliance pioneer Sarah Abellon-Alikes, development worker Lenville Salvador, Myrna Zapanta, Petronila Guzman, and Marcylyn Pilala.
We demand that the Marcos Jr. government junk the Anti-Terrorism Law and other counter-terrorism laws that are deliberately misused against labor and human rights defenders. It is imperative that all civil society organizations, labor unions, and advocates for justice unite in solidarity to resist these state-sanctioned abuses.
#DefendCordilleraPH
#DefendTheNorth
#JunkTerrorLaws
