CALL FOR SUPPORT! DEFEND AMBI-AMIHAN ISABELA! DEFEND PEASANT WOMEN!

We, from Amihan National Federation of Peasant Women, Defend Peasant Women Campaign and Tanggol Magsasaka, are calling on all sectors, human and women rights defenders, agrarian reform and food security advocates and freedom-loving Filipinos to support the campaign of Asosasyon dagiti Mannalon a kababaihan ti Isabela-Amihan (AMBI-Amihan Isabela) against the latest wave of state terror tactics against them. Its members and leaders are presently targets of harassment, forced surrender, and red-tagging by state armed forces this whole the month of August 2023.

The peasant women group emphasized the countless violations of the Constitution’s Bill of Rights and other provisions, International Humanitarian Law, International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights; particularly the right to freedom of expression, association, peaceful assembly, social justice and human rights, right to own the lands, right to food and adequate standard of living and others. The plight of AMBI-Amihan Isabela leaders and members is an undisputed proof of state terrorism hounding the Filipino people in Northern Luzon and across the country. AMBI-Amihan Isabela has been advancing the peasant women rights and welfare since 2017, especially under the economic lockdown in 2020, but their leaders and members were subjected to red-tagging, harassment and threat, and coercion to sign documents of fake surrender at their own homes. Last August 27, amid already suffering the aftermath of typhoon Goring on their crops, peasant women and other residents of Brgy Lampogan, Tumauini, Isabela were coerced to sign documents that would purportedly serve as proof of their “surrender,” and pledge of allegiance to the government. Elements of the 5th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army initially tried to manipulate residents to go to the barangay hall with the promise of rice and relief goods in exchange for forced surrender. When no residents came, they followed 30 peasant women to the house of a barangay official and red-tagged Amihan. They arbitrarily imposed a baseless requirement of of prior approval of armed forces for any relief or humanitarian effort and demanded to know the sources of donated relief goods. Prior to this, state armed forces profiled and took pictures of each house to systematically begin carrying out forced surrenders. Residents were shown the pictures of organizers Renato Gameng and Cita Managuelod and asked to identify them. The barangay captain, police, and soldiers also repeatedly red-tagged Amihan Isabela, the legitimate organization of women farmers in the region. Moreover, leaders and members of AMBI-Amihan Isabela were harassed, interrogated, and forced to “clear their names” in their own homes by officers in civilian attire. These authoritarian measures reek of a fascist rule, clear violations of the constitution and existing laws, threat to freedom and democracy, and should be immediately condemned by the people. During Duterte’s fascist economic lockdown in 2020, the peasant women of AMBI-Amihan Isabela launched the “Kampanya Kontra-Gutom” or campaign against hunger and fed their community with the harvest from the organic communal gardens that they tended to. The group campaigns for farmers’ rights and livelihood, and for the government to fulfill its mandate of providing relief goods and support during calamities. As reprisal, state armed forces red-tagged and threatened the members and their families, literally sowing terror in the peasant communities and manifesting state terrorism. The state armed forces and the Duterte and Marcos Jr. regimes should be held accountable for these wanton and systematic violations of human rights and destroying the free and democratic way of life of peasant families. In this light, we appeal to everyone to support the for the protection of AMBI Amihan and its members who have had their rights violated. We reiterate our calls to stop militarization in the countryside and pull out military troops now.

Please help us amplify the campaign by sharing the statement with your and/or your organization’s networks. You can sign here – https://forms.gle/iARdUyqgnmfTy44V9 Also, may we request to express your support through various online platforms by using hashtags: #DefendAMBIAmihanIsabela #DefendPeasantWomen Thank you very much.