Stop implicating IP advocate Niezel Velasco in cases that are not hers - Panaghiusa
- Panaghiusa Philippine Network
- 5 days ago
- 3 min read
Updated: 4 days ago
The Panaghiusa Philippine Network to Uphold Indigenous Peoples’ Rights stands in unwavering solidarity with Indigenous Peoples’ rights advocate and former political prisoner Niezel Velasco and with all defenders who continue to face state-sponsored judicial persecution. The June 25, 2025 dismissal of the estafa case under the name "Mary Jane Velasco" by Quezon City Metropolitan Trial Court Branch 34 marks a significant development in the legal battle wrongfully imposed on Niezel, revealing a systematic pattern of judicial harassment that threatens Indigenous advocacy.
The estafa complaint was filed against an individual named Mary Jane Velasco. Yet, despite this distinction, state actors and legal mechanisms deliberately redirected the charge to Niezel—a conscious act of misidentification that was sustained over the years. Niezel, her legal counsel, family, and Indigenous organizations consistently rejected this attribution. The case not only lacked merit but also failed to proceed due to the complainant’s repeated absence, a sign of lack of prosecution, as formally acknowledged by the court’s resolution.
This misattribution reflects more than bureaucratic negligence—it points to an intentional effort to use the legal system to target those engaged in rights-based advocacy. Niezel was forced to endure proceedings for charges unrelated to her, thereby obstructing her work and personal life.
The wrongful estafa case is part of a broader campaign of repression. On July 16, 2021, Niezel and Manobo activist Julieta Gomez were arrested in a joint police-military operation. Mindanao courts dismissed the trumped-up charges of murder and attempted murder in 2022 and 2023. After nearly four years of unjust detention, both were acquitted of the trumped-up charge of illegal possession of firearms and explosives on April 8, 2025, due to a lack of evidence and prosecutorial inconsistencies.
Despite that acquittal and the dismissal of the estafa case, Niezel remains burdened with other trumped-up charges—unjust vexation and maltreatment—still pending before Antipolo Municipal Trial Court in Cities Branch 1, again under the name of Mary Jane Velasco.
From Surigao del Sur, Niezel has dedicated her life to serving Lumad communities across Mindanao. As a project officer for Bread for Emergency Assistance and Development, Inc., she supported disaster-affected areas with emergency relief and community rebuilding. From 2017 to 2018, she played a pivotal role as the provincial focal person for the National Anti-Poverty Commission's Local Affairs Coordinating and Monitoring Service, implementing livelihood and disaster preparedness programs across Caraga and Siargao.
Panaghiusa condemns the systemic manipulation of legal identities and processes to repress the Indigenous Peoples and advocates. Niezel’s case exemplifies a broader crisis in the Philippine justice system, where legal tools are misused to silence dissent.
Panaghiusa calls for the immediate recognition that Indigenous Peoples’ rights advocate Niezel Velasco must not be implicated in any legal cases filed against another individual. The estafa charge under the name “Mary Jane Velasco” should be handled appropriately without falsely dragging Niezel into proceedings for actions she did not commit. The cases in Antipolo under the name “Mary Jane Velasco” attributed to Niezel Velasco must be rectified to reflect the true identity of the respondent.
Panaghiusa reaffirms its unwavering stance: We condemn the weaponization of the justice system against the Indigenous Peoples and advocates. Guided by shared commitments to Indigenous rights and collective advocacy, our network—comprising Indigenous organizations and support groups—works to uphold the rights to ancestral domains and self-determination, and resist systemic efforts to criminalize those who speak truth to power.
Panaghiusa urges the public, institutions, allies, and partners to speak out and support our call: End all efforts that compel activists to answer for charges not lawfully associated with them. Protect the Indigenous Peoples and advocates from identity-based harassment and coercive legal tactics. Drop the trumped-up charges against human rights defenders. #
Reference:
Rikki Mae Gono
National Coordinator
Panaghiusa Philippine Network to Uphold Indigenous Peoples’ Rights
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