Human rights alliance KARAPATAN called for the release of Filipino-American activist Christina Pasion and the dismissal of the charges against her, stressing that no one should be imprisoned or prosecuted on the basis of questionable identification and accusations unsupported by credible evidence.
“The continued detention and prosecution of Christina Pasion, despite the glaring weaknesses in the accusations against her, should end with the dismissal of the charges against her. Hindi pwedeng inaaresto at kinakasuhan ang kahit sino batay sa hula o gawa-gawang kwento ng mga militar (No one should be arrested or charged based on wild guesses and invented stories of the military),” said KARAPATAN secretary general Cristina Palabay.
On October 14, Pasion, through her legal counsel from the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL), filed a manifestation with motion asking the court to consider the complainants’ failure to submit additional evidence as a waiver of their right to do so. According to Pasion, the soldiers who accused her did not name her in their initial statements, which were executed only 28 days after the alleged armed encounter on January 1, 2026. Her name was also absent from the official investigation data form. Pasion categorically denied being present at or participating in the alleged armed encounter. She also denied possessing or firing any firearm.
“It is glaring that the military, who are the complainants in this case, submitted affidavits at the last minute to invent a case against Pasion. The Armed Forces of the Philippines has been implicating her in an alleged armed encounter without having mentioned her name in their initial statements or presenting any credible evidence against her,” Palabay said.
Born and raised in Maryland, United States, to Filipino migrant healthcare workers, Pasion is an artist and activist who has participated in campaigns against racism and police brutality and advocated for the rights of Filipino migrant workers, including teachers and seafarers in the US. She later came to the Philippines to volunteer and work with marginalized communities, particularly peasants and Indigenous Peoples.
In the early morning of July 30, 2026, Pasion was arrested alongside Mangyan-Buhid community organizer Binay Serrano at a house in Cabuyao, Laguna, by combined elements of the military, police, and immigration authorities. The two were separated, and immigration officers took Pasion to the main immigration office, where she was served a warrant for overstaying. She was then immediately transferred to Camp Bagong Diwa. During questioning, she received no clear answers regarding the timeline of her deportation. She remains detained at the facility.
Palabay questioned the credibility of the soldiers’ identification of Pasion, noting that their additional statements did not indicate that they identified her before or even after the alleged encounter. “Their identification of Pasion is based on wild guesses and invented stories,” said Palabay.
Pasion’s lawyers argued that the soldiers’ belated identification of her was unreliable, particularly because they were shown her photograph only after another person had identified her and linked her to the alleged encounter. No physical, forensic, documentary, or digital evidence has been presented to establish her involvement in the incident.
KARAPATAN stressed that questionable identification and unsubstantiated accusations should never serve as grounds for depriving a person of liberty.
“We hope that the courts recognize that such charges insult the intelligence of the courts and even of ordinary people. They represent a grave injustice against those falsely accused, like Pasion. She should be released without further delay,” Palabay said.