Rights group slams continuing harassment of students, peasant leader
KARAPATAN Public Information
PRESS RELEASE
17 August 2026
Reference: Cristina Palabay, KARAPATAN secretary general, 09173162831
KARAPATAN Public Information Desk, 09189790580
Rights group slams continuing harassment of students, peasant leader
KARAPATAN assailed reports of police and military harassment against students in Kalinga and a peasant leader in Cebu.
In Kalinga, the 5th Infantry Division of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) disrupted and sabotaged the Kalinga State University’s Konsultahang Kabataan on August 14, 2026 that had Kabataan Partylist (KPL) Rep. Renee Co as guest speaker.
Instead of being an avenue where students could express their grievances, the AFP and the police turned the event into an opportunity to red-tag targeted youth and student groups as it was attended by elements from the Philippine National Police and the AFP.
The AFP even went so far as to justify its presence by falsely claiming that it partnered with the KPL in organizing the event, but it only managed to have a chilling effect on the students. KPL slammed the 5th ID’s false claims and condemned the AFP’s presence as a “deliberate hijacking of a legitimate youth event.”
KARAPATAN secretary general Cristina Palabay said that with their intimidating presence, the AFP denied the students and university community the right to freely express their concerns.
Meanwhile, KARAPATAN also slammed the reported escalating harassment by the AFP of Nic Abasolo who chairs the Cebu chapter of the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP).
Since February 2026, elements of the AFP–Central Command (AFP-CENTCOM) and suspected intelligence agents have been terrorizing Abasolo and his family by repeatedly interrogating Abasolo’s son, sister, and niece at their home in Barangay Lamac, Pinamungahan. Abasolo attempted to meet these agents at the Commission on Human Rights Region VII in Cebu City on February 18, 2026, but the operatives refused to appear. Instead, they scaled up their harassment by confronting Abasolo’s brother-in-law and wife with fabricated rebellion charges, maliciously red-tagging them as NPA fighters to coerce them to “surrender.” Most recently, on August 13, 2026, a suspected State agent named “James” texted Abasolo’s son to demand a meeting with his father.
“The AFP and PNP must stop red-tagging leaders and activists of the legal democratic movement and conflating their activities with the armed rebellion,” said Palabay. “This constitutes a violation of the international humanitarian law principle of distinction between civilians and combatants and is tantamount to giving the green light to State forces to subject unarmed activists to the same level of violence inflicted on armed combatants.”
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KARAPATAN is an alliance of human rights organizations and programs, human rights desks and committees of people’s organizations, and individual advocates committed to the defense and promotion of people’s rights and civil liberties. It monitors and documents cases of human rights violations, assists and defends victims and conducts education, training and campaign. It was established in 1995.