The Makabayan Coalition has denounced as “unacceptable” the December 16, 2025 decision of the Court of Appeals affirming the conviction of former ACT Teachers Representative France Castro, former Bayan Muna Representative Satur Ocampo, and the group known as the Talaingod 13 in what it described as a “fabricated” child abuse case.
The coalition said the ruling, which came more than a year after the Tagum Regional Trial Court’s initial verdict, represents a continuation of political persecution that began under the Duterte administration and persists under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. through the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC).
“Walang batayan, mali, at hindi makatarungan ang desisyong ito. Dapat ibasura ang hatol at bigyan ng hustisya ang mamamayang Lumad na siyang tunay na biktima ng militarisasyon at karahasan ng estado,” the coalition declared.
Humanitarian Mission Turned Criminal Case
The case stems from a November 2018 National Solidarity Mission to Talaingod, Davao del Norte, where Castro, Ocampo, and other advocates sought to deliver relief goods and investigate human rights violations against Lumad communities facing militarization, food blockades, and aerial bombings during Duterte’s martial law in Mindanao.
On November 28, 2018, paramilitary group Alamara reportedly threatened to burn down the Salugpungan Ta Tanu Igkanogon school in Sitio Dulyan. Eleven teachers evacuated 16 students to safety, with Castro and Ocampo assisting to ensure their protection. Advocates insist this was a humanitarian rescue, not child abuse.
Pattern of Attacks on Lumad Schools
The coalition cited Duterte’s 2017 State of the Nation Address, where he ordered the bombing of Lumad schools, as evidence of state policy against indigenous education. According to the Save Our Schools Network, 216 Lumad schools were forcibly closed under Duterte, with 21 destroyed, 10 aerial bombings recorded, and thousands of Lumad displaced or coerced into surrender.
“The real abusers of Lumad children are the military, paramilitary, and the state,” the coalition said.
Continuing Repression Under Marcos Jr.
Makabayan argued that the Marcos administration has continued this legacy of rights violations through the National Action Plan for Unity, Peace and Development 2025–2028 and the Barangay Development Program of NTF-ELCAC. It accused the government of favoring foreign corporate interests in mining and plantations, particularly in ancestral Lumad lands such as the Pantaron Range in Davao del Norte.
Legal Defense and Appeal
While the Court of Appeals upheld the conviction, the coalition noted that four pastors and two ACT staff were acquitted, underscoring the humanitarian nature of the mission and the weakness of the case. It criticized the CA for relying on what it called a “forced conspiracy theory” rather than acknowledging evidence of paramilitary threats.
Castro, Ocampo, and their colleagues, the coalition said, have long been targets of red-tagging by Vice President Sara Duterte, NTF-ELCAC officials, and the military due to their advocacy for teachers and marginalized communities. Castro, in particular, has been singled out for exposing alleged misuse of confidential funds and filing an impeachment complaint against the Vice President.
Call to Action
“The growing attacks on Teacher France, Ka Satur, and the Talaingod 13 are attacks on their advocacies and the sectors they represent,” the coalition said. “Defending them is defending the rights and welfare of the people against state exploitation and oppression.”
Makabayan urged the Supreme Court to overturn the ruling and called on Filipinos “who love freedom” to stand with the Talaingod 13. (RRN)
