​​KARAPATAN to AFP: Stop Holding the Dead Hostage; Return the Remains to Their Families Now

[KARAPATAN Public Information]

PRESS RELEASE

06 August 2026

Reference: Cristina Palabay, KARAPATAN secretary general,  09173162831

KARAPATAN Public Information Desk, 09189790580

KARAPATAN to AFP: Stop Holding the Dead Hostage; Return the Remains to Their Families Now

Rights group KARAPATAN condemned the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) for "keeping the dead hostage" by withholding the remains of three individuals reportedly killed in a military operation in Abra, and demanded their immediate turnover to their families.

More than 24 hours after their reported deaths, the remains have yet to be turned over to their families. The fatalities have been identified as Eugene Hilaus and Enrique Dayandante, while the third remains unidentified. Their families have sought assistance from the Indigenous Human Rights Advocates (IHRA) and Cordillera Human Rights Alliance (CHRA) in retrieving and properly caring for their remains.

"The families have the right to retrieve, care for, and properly lay their loved ones to rest. Prolonging their ordeal by making them wait for hours without clear information or explanation is cruel and unacceptable. The AFP does not have a single reason or justification not to turn over the remains. They must not turn this into a public relations stunt,” said KARAPATAN secretary general Cristina Palabay.

KARAPATAN said the continued delay smacks of the AFP’s non-compliance with international humanitarian law (IHL), particularly its obligations concerning the retrieval, handling, and humane treatment of the dead. Photographs released by the AFP reportedly showed the bodies lying exposed in a barren portion of the mountains, making these vulnerable to fast decomposition and desecration.

Meanwhile, reports reaching KARAPATAN said that the large-scale military operation has severely disrupted the livelihoods of communities in the area. Rice farmers have been unable to tend to their rain-fed fields despite the recent rains, after months of drought. Hunting activities have likewise been affected by the blockade and military presence of two AFP battalions, while small-scale miners have also been unable to carry out their livelihood activities.

“After months of drought, the people should be able to return to their farms now that the rains have come. Instead, the continuing military operation prevents them from farming, hunting, and earning a living. Militarization is putting both lives and livelihoods at risk,” Palabay said.

KARAPATAN also denounced the 5th Infantry Division’s call for “localized peace talks,” stressing that militarization, blockades, and the effective control of communities do not constitute a genuine peace process.

“Localized peace talks cannot be used to justify the militarization and hamletting of communities. Genuine peace requires addressing the root causes of the conflict—including landlessness, the encroachment on ancestral lands, poverty, and widespread human rights violations,” Palabay said.

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2nd Flr. Erythrina Bldg.,
#1 Maaralin corner Matatag Sts., Central District

Diliman, Quezon City, PHILIPPINES 1101

Telefax: (+63 2) 7090 8183

Web: http://www.karapatan.org

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.

[KARAPATAN Public Information]

ERRATUM (6 August 2026)

In the press release titled "KARAPATAN to AFP: Stop Holding the Dead Hostage; Return the Remains to Their Families Now" issued on August 6, 2026, the second paragraph incorrectly stated the name of the Ilocos Human Rights Alliance. 

IHRA stands for Ilocos Human Rights Alliance. 

We apologize for the error.

KARAPATAN Public Information Desk

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PUBLIC INFORMATION DESK
publi...@karapatan.org
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2nd Flr. Erythrina Bldg.,
#1 Maaralin corner Matatag Sts., Central District

Diliman, Quezon City, PHILIPPINES 1101

Telefax: (+63 2) 7090 8183

Web: http://www.karapatan.org

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.