As 2025 drew to a close, human rights advocates raised alarms over the persistent use of fabricated evidence and baseless criminal charges against activists and progressive voices in the Philippines. Two separate arrests in late December have highlighted what critics call a systematic campaign of political repression.
Arrests in Mindoro and Baguio
Ramon “Monet” Expiridito Venturanza Alcantara, a former mayoral candidate from Abra de Ilog, Occidental Mindoro, and a known anti-corruption and anti-mining advocate, was taken into custody. In a separate operation, authorities arrested Mike Cabangon, a cultural worker and labor organizer based in Northern Luzon.
Alcantara remains detained at the Philippine National Police (PNP)-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) facility in Camp Miguel Malvar, Batangas. Cabangon has since been released after posting bail.
Details of the Operations
According to documentation from Karapatan Southern Tagalog, the arrest of Alcantara occurred in the early hours of Tuesday, December 23, 2025. A combined force of the PNP-CIDG, local police, and the 76th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army (76th IBPA) forcibly entered his home in Barangay San Vicente, Abra de Ilog.
Witnesses reported that authorities tried to connect Alcantara to an alleged armed encounter between the 76th IBPA and the New People's Army in Barangay Lumangbayan on November 26, despite an apparent lack of credible proof. Alcantara is recognized for his work opposing large-scale mining projects and supporting the ancestral land rights of Mangyan communities in Mindoro.
Meanwhile, on Saturday, December 27, an arrest warrant was served at Mike Cabangon's home in Baguio City. Cabangon, who serves as the coordinator and spokesperson for the regional chapter of the Kilusang Mayo Uno labor center and is a vocalist for the band Ebkas Waya, was charged under the Anti-Terrorism Financing Act (Republic Act 10168). Notably, a similar terrorism financing case filed against him earlier in the year had already been dismissed at the prosecution level.
A Pattern of Political Repression
Rights groups assert these incidents are not isolated but part of a deliberate state strategy. They accuse the government of being swift to detain activists using trumped-up charges and evidence planting, while being painfully slow to act against corruption. The Marcos Jr. administration, they claim, relies on a repressive playbook that weaponizes laws to silence dissent and criminalize advocacy.
The stark contrast, as pointed out by critics, is that the state intensifies efforts to tag and arrest activists even as high-level corruption allegedly goes unpunished. This creates an environment where calling for justice and accountability itself becomes a dangerous act.
Calls for Action and Solidarity
In response to these events, human rights defenders have issued urgent appeals. They are calling on the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) to immediately investigate the circumstances of both arrests, including the allegations of evidence planting and the conduct of the operating state forces.
They have also urged the Department of Justice (DOJ) to dismiss the fabricated case of illegal possession of firearms and explosives and to prevent the revival of long-dismissed accusations used to justify persecution.
A plea has been extended to the public to remain vigilant and to stand in solidarity with victims of political repression. The central demands are clear: the immediate release of Ramon Alcantara and the junking of all trumped-up charges against both individuals. The path forward, advocates stress, lies in collective action to hold perpetrators of human rights violations and the regime accountable.
