The Philippine Army has found missing Filipino-American activist Chantal Anicoche alive on Thursday, Inquirer.Net reported. She remains in military custody while she is questioned and goes through a medical assessment, according to GMA News Online.
The Philippine army released footage of Anicoche on Thursday, claiming she was found hiding in a hole, BULATLAT reported.
Anicoche, a recent grad from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), went missing on Jan. 1 during a government military clash with the New People’s Rebels (NPA) in Occidental Mindoro, Philippines. The 24-year-old, who was learning about the conditions of the Mangyan-Iraya people, became separated from her group when the attack began, BULATLAT reported.
During the strike, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) deployed four helicopters to drop 12 aerial bombs and continued to attack the Abra de Ilog, Occidental Mindoro, for several hours, Scoop World reported. The attack killed three Mangyan children, injured their mother, displaced 188 families, and killed at least two student researchers, according to BULATLAT.
The attack killed Anicoche’s companion, Jerlyn Rose Doydora, a 24-year-old student from the University of the City of Manila, ABS-CBN reported. At the time, Doydora had been completing research and volunteer work, GMA News Online reported. She was with other youth volunteers who were researching farmers, indigenous communities, and revolutionary forces in the area, according to KODAO.
“We still cannot believe it,” her mother, Merlinda Doydora, told GMA News Online.
On Friday, the 2nd Infantry “Jungle Fighter” Division of the Philippine Army posted to Facebook, announcing Anicoche’s rescue. The post claims she was among those left behind by the NPA and was discovered after hearing her cries for help. The Philippine Army is also in contact with her mother in the U.S, the post said.
Meanwhile, different activist groups are challenging the AFP’s account of Anicoche’s discovery, demanding her release and questioning the legality of her detention, Tempo reported.
“While it is a relief to know that she is alive, we know that she is not safe in the hands of the military,” Cris Hilo of Gabriela New York told BULATLAT.
Cristina Palabay is the Secretary General of Karapatan, an organization committed to promoting and protecting human rights in the Philippines, according to its website. She told Tempo that there is no legal justification for Anicoche to remain in military custody.
“She must be immediately released to her family, legal counsel, or human rights organizations,” said Palabay.
Brandon Lee, the U.S Chairperson for the International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines (ICHRP), is urging the public to continue to fight for her release, BULATLAT reported.
Cries for Anicoche’s release have continued to spread in the U.S, advocating for her to return home.
In Chicago, Filipinos and allies protested in front of the Consulate General of the Philippines on Jan. 8, according to Fight Back! News. During the demonstration, protesters gathered to sing songs, read poems, and speak about Anichoe’s activism.
Meanwhile, protesters rallied outside the Philippine Consulate in New York City on Jan. 10, BULATLAT reported. Before the protest, different organizations submitted a request to the Philippine government to meet. The letter demanded Anicoche’s release and raised alarm against the military violence against the indigenous Mangyan-Iraya communities in Mindoro, according to BULATLAT.
UMBC’s Filipino American Student Association (FASA), of which Anicoche is an alumnus, is also calling for her release through protests and a social media campaign. The group joined 130 community members in Washington DC on Jan. 9 to confront the Philippine Embassy, according to a social media post.
“Now, we must do everything we can to make sure she is released from AFP custody and reunited with her family and community IMMEDIATELY,” UMBC FASA posted on Instagram. “Her rights must be respected, and her safety and security ensured.”
Registration is closed for Common Ground: Building Together conference and gala award banquet in San Francisco on January 24. A shoutout to our planning committee: Jane Chin, Frank Mah, Jeannie Young, Akemi Tamanaha, Nathan Soohoo, Mark Young, Dave Liu, and Yiming Fu.
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