KARAPATAN decries the continuing persecution of human rights defender Alexander Philip “Chakoy” Abinguna, Karapatan National Council member and coordinator of Katungod-Sinirangan Bisayas at the time of his arrest, as he attended the court hearing today, February 24, 2025, at Leyte Regional Trial Court Branch 45 for trumped up charges of illegal possession of firearms and explosives.
Chakoy was arbitrarily arrested at their office on February 7, 2020 with community journalist Frenchie Mae Cumpio and development worker Marielle Domequil. Their trumped-up case at Leyte RTC Branch 45 was filed based on evidence planted by the raiding team. Cumpio took the witness stand for the second time today.
At the said hearing, Cumpio was asked on the alleged rebel surrenderees who testified against them. “I feel pity for them, they may have been forced and coerced to testify,” she said.
Among the witnesses against Cumpio, Abinguna and Domequil is a certain Alma Gabin, who has claimed to be associated with KARAPATAN in some of the videos being circulated online by the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict.
“Sino ba sya? We do not have any current or previous human rights worker named Alma Gabin. But according to information available on social media, Gabin seems to be a paid hack of the NTF-ELCAC, who has received housing, livelihood and cash benefits from their rebel surrenderee program,” said KARAPATAN secretary general Cristina Palabay.
“Any opportunistic military asset like Gabin, who will sing any song asked of her by the military in exchange for money, has no credibility. If the NTF-ELCAC’s cases against Abinguna, Cumpio and Domequil are based on the say-so of this individual, then these cases should have been quashed at the onset,” she added.
Gabin was also one of those who executed an affidavit against the Leyte Center for Development, in the NTF-ELCAC’s trumped up terrorism financing case against the non-governmental organization. The said case had been dismissed in January 2025.
“The NTF-ELCAC’s cases against activists and dissenters are based on recycled witnesses, with inconsistent and perjured testimonies and dubious interests. In cases where they planted evidence of guns and explosives, the accounts of the police are inconsistent and convoluted, that it defies reason and logic,” Palabay stated.
KARAPATAN said that the day before the police raids were conducted, Abinguna wrote to the office of the Commission on Human Rights in Region 8 requesting for a voluntary inspection of the Katungod-Sinirangan Bisayas. Abinguna feared the occurrence of a police raid, as had been conducted in Manila and Negros. He also cited incidents of observed surveillance of State forces in the past days.
“Surely, if it had been true that the three had guns and explosives in our Tacloban City office, why would Abinguna request for the CHR’s assistance? The fact is there are no such materials in our office and that these were planted by the military and police raiding teams,” Palabay said.
“Abinguna, Cumpio and Domequil have been imprisoned for five years already. We vow to support them in their fight for justice, and work for their release, no matter how long it takes.”