Panaghiusa condemns AFP attacks in Mindoro; urges public, CHR, UN mechanisms, to stand with IP, support independent investigations

[TAGALOG] Panaghiusa kinokondena ang mga atake ng AFP sa Mindoro; nananawagan sa publiko, CHR, UN mechanisms na makiisa sa mga Katutubo, suportahan ang mga independent investigation

Panaghiusa Philippine Network to Uphold Indigenous Peoples’ Rights extends its deepest condolences to the families and communities of those killed, and stands in full solidarity with the Mangyan as they confront escalating state violence. We strongly condemn the continuing and intensifying attacks carried out by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) against Indigenous Peoples' communities in Mindoro.

As these violations worsen, we urge the public to stand with the Indigenous Peoples. Moreover, we urgently call on national, regional, and international human rights bodies and Indigenous Peoples’ mechanisms to act decisively by issuing public statements, initiating urgent communications, and supporting independent investigations into the grave abuses committed by AFP against the Mangyan.

Funa-ay Claver of Katribu Kalipunan ng Katutubong Mamamayan ng Pilipinas calls to defend the Indigenous Peoples' ancestral lands and assert their self-determination amid the attacks of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) against the Mangyan in Mindoro.

The January 1, 2026 bombing in Brgy. Cabacao, Abra de Ilog is only the most recent incident in a long and worsening pattern of state violence that requires immediate intervention from institutions mandated to uphold human rights and protect Indigenous Peoples’ communities.

The attack, carried out by the 203rd Infantry Brigade of the AFP, resulted in the killing of three Mangyan-Iraya children and the serious wounding of their mother, who survived but now bears deep physical and emotional trauma. Also killed was Jerlyn Rose Doydora, a student researcher from the Pamantasang Lungsod ng Maynila who was documenting Indigenous life and culture. Her death underscores the indiscriminate nature of the violence and the grave risks faced by those who accompany the Indigenous Peoples in their struggle for ancestral lands and self-determination.

The Indigenous Peoples, Moro, and human rights defenders calls for the release of Chantal Anicoche and accountability over the attacks in Mindoro by the Armed Forces of the Philippines, January 9, 2026.

Equally alarming is the case of Filipino-American Chantal Anicoche, who was initially reported missing after the January 1 military attack in Abra de Ilog. Chantal was in Mindoro for an exposure trip and had no involvement in any armed activity. On January 8, the AFP circulated a video showing her in their custody, where she was being interrogated by soldiers, an act that violates her rights as a civilian protected under the Fourth Geneva Convention and her constitutional rights as a detained person. The footage itself raises serious concerns. The circumstances of its release, the manner of questioning, and the visible staging elements suggest that the video was seemingly produced to shape public perception rather than to provide truthful information about her condition or status. Its circulation further breaches her right to dignity, privacy, and protection from coercion.

At this point, there is no legal basis for her continued detention. The period allowed for holding a person without charges has already lapsed, rendering her captivity an act of arbitrary detention under the Revised Penal Code. Chantal’s case exemplifies the worsening pattern of enforced disappearances, illegal detention, and rights violations targeting youth and civilians in militarized Indigenous Peoples’ communities.

Humanitarian aid, fact-finding missions, and independent investigations have been blocked, with military units and the Philippine National Police threatening human rights groups attempting to enter the area. This obstruction further violates the rights of Indigenous Peoples’ communities and prevents urgent assistance from reaching survivors.

The January 1 massacre follows a series of grave human rights violations throughout 2025. On December 23, environmental advocate and long-time Mangyan ally Ramon “Monet” Alcantara was forcibly taken from his home by combined police and military forces. Earlier, Mangyan-Iraya woman farmer Dolores Mariano Solangon was abducted and tortured, exposing the climate of fear imposed on Indigenous Peoples' communities under sustained militarization. Since March 2025, Mangyan communities in Oriental Mindoro have endured repeated bombings and intensified military operations. This attacks have already claimed lives. In April 2024, Mangyan-Iraya youth Jay-el Maligday was shot dead by the military and falsely tagged as a member of the New People’s Army.

These attacks are not random. They are unfolding alongside the forcible seizure of Mangyan-Iraya ancestral land in Sitio Malatabako by Pieceland Corporation, a real estate company attempting to dispossess the Indigenous Peoples of their territories. Militarization has been used to clear the way for land grabbing, resource extraction, and corporate expansion at the expense of Indigenous Peoples' lives.

These state terror violate the Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Act, the United Nations (UN) Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and the Philippine government’s obligations under international human rights and humanitarian law. The repeated targeting of children, women, researchers, and civilians is indefensible and demands urgent, decisive action.

In light of these grave violations, Panaghiusa calls on the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, the UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, the UN Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial, Summary or Arbitrary Executions, the UN Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights Defenders, the UN Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues to take urgent action. These bodies are mandated to monitor abuses, issue urgent communications, and support independent investigations when Indigenous communities are placed at risk.

January 9, 2026.

We likewise urge the UN Human Rights Council and the UN Resident Coordinator in the Philippines to publicly raise concern, amplify the calls of the affected Indigenous Peoples, and ensure that these attacks receive the international scrutiny they demand.

At the national level, we call on the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) of the Philippines to undertake a full, independent investigation into the entire series of attacks from the 2025 violations to the January 1 killings and the enforced disappearance of Chantal Anicoche. The CHR must fulfill its constitutional duty to protect vulnerable communities and pursue accountability for state-perpetrated violence. In stark contrast, the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples has long abandoned its role as a defender of Indigenous Peoples’ rights. Its silence amid the killings, disappearances, and displacement in Mindoro reveals its complicity in state violence and land grabbing, betraying the very communities it claims to represent.

These institutions exist precisely to prevent and respond to atrocities of this scale. Their mandates to uphold human rights, protect the Indigenous Peoples, and ensure accountability must be activated without delay. 

The violence inflicted on the Indigenous Peoples is systemic, and it is reinforced by the AFP’s disinformation meant to obscure the truth and justify these attacks. Yet the courage and resistance of the Mangyan Peoples remain unwavering. Public statements, urgent appeals, and independent investigations are essential to halt further violence and impunity.

Tinay Palabay, Secretary-General of Karapatan, condemns the militarization and bombings by the Armed Forces of the Philippines in Mindoro. She calls for an independent investigation and accountability on the attacks against the Indigenous Peoples, including the AFP's aerial bombing and firing in the Indigenous Peoples' ancestral lands, last January 1, 2026.

Panaghiusa stands firmly with the Indigenous Peoples of Mindoro. We commit to amplifying their voices, supporting their demands, and mobilizing solidarity across the Philippines and the international community. 

We echo the calls of the people of Mindoro:  

Stop the attacks against the people. End militarization. Hold all perpetrators of human rights and International Humanitarian Law violations accountable. Provide immediate humanitarian assistance. Respect Indigenous Peoples’ rights to land, life, and resources.

We call on the public—communities, organizations, and individuals—to stand with the Indigenous Peoples. Let us act collectively to ensure that these violations do not pass in silence, that justice is pursued with determination, and that the rights of the Indigenous Peoples are defended without compromise. #

Reference:

Rikki Mae Gono

National Coordinator

Panaghiusa Philippine Network to Uphold Indigenous Peoples’ Rights