📷: Chantal Anicoche | Bayan USA Facebook page
BAYAN USA and Migrante USA have issued an urgent call for the immediate release of Chantal Anicoche, who remains under the custody of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) following military operations in Abra de Ilog, Mindoro Occidental on January 1.
The groups said Anicoche went missing after the AFP’s aerial bombing and strafing of communities in the area, sparking widespread concern among her family and community organizations.
Advocacy networks across the United States, the Philippines, and internationally mobilized to demand her surfacing, breaking through what they described as an “information blackout” enforced by the Philippine government in Mindoro.
While footage of Anicoche has since been released by the AFP, the organizations stressed that her continued detention places her in imminent danger.
They warned of the risk of torture or harm, citing past cases of abuse against individuals held in military custody.
“There is no reason for the AFP to keep her in their custody,” the groups said, adding that the military has yet to disclose her current condition or whereabouts.
The statement also criticized the AFP’s handling of information, noting that fact-finding missions were blocked and that the military’s narrative of “rescuing” Anicoche contradicted its earlier actions. The groups accused the government of manipulating public perception to deflect accountability.
Beyond Anicoche’s case, BAYAN USA and Migrante USA pointed to the broader militarization of Mindoro’s indigenous Mangyan communities.
They linked this to resource exploitation by mining, energy, and ecotourism projects that displace residents and degrade ancestral lands.
“The publicity stunts of the AFP and Philippine government only veil the true injustice: that Mindoro is under attack for the benefit of multinational corporations and local ruling classes in the Philippines who steal the people’s land for their own profit, and that the AFP will do the dirty work of harming ordinary people who seek to protect their land and their future,” the statement read.
The organizations urged Filipinos in the U.S. and allies worldwide to intensify campaigns for Anicoche’s safe release and to demand justice for others affected by the bombings, including Jerlyn Doydora and the Mangyan community. They highlighted ongoing concerns over AFP’s denial of reported killings of Mangyan children. (ZIA LUNA)
