KARAPATAN decried the arrest of activist Myrna Cruz-Abraham on January 27, 2025, in San Rafael, Bulacan. Karapatan secretary general Cristina Palabay said it is Cruz-Abraham’s second arrest, citing her arrest in 2010 on similar trumped-up charges, which were later dismissed.
“It was during the national election campaign period in 2010 when Cruz-Abraham was abducted, and eventually surfaced and charged with trumped-up murder and election gun ban cases that kept her in prison for nine months,” said Palabay. “All these charges against her were dismissed due to lack of evidence. We are certain that the cases the State security forces have against Cruz-Abraham are based on concocted lies and worn-out tales meant to persecute an activist who has tirelessly worked for human and people’s rights,” she added.
Cruz-Abraham, 69, was a former teacher, trade union and peasant organizer, women’s rights and indigenous people’s rights advocate. According to Katribu (Kalipunan ng Katutubong Mamamayan ng Pilipinas), she is a member of SANDIWA, a national network of advocates for the rights of national minorities. As part of the network’s secretariat since its founding assembly in September 2017, she helped organize relief services, fund-raising bazaars and educational and cultural events to promote the heritage and struggles of indigenous peoples and the Bangsamoro. She directly participated in relief operations for indigenous and Moro communities especially in Rizal, Quezon and Metro Manila affected by disasters and calamities. She played active roles in the successful Lakbayan ng Pambansang Minorya from 2017 until 2019, and supported the Lumad Bakwit Schools in Manila.
Palabay added that Cruz-Abraham was accosted by personnel of the Directorate for Investigation and Detection Management of the Philippine National Police and presented with a warrant of arrest, citing frustrated murder charges against her lodged at a regional trial court in Aparri, Cagayan. According to initial reports, Cruz-Abraham was again presented with another arrest warrant as she was being processed at the San Rafael Municipal Police Station, but her name was not on the said warrant.
Cruz-Abraham is currently detained at Camp Karingal in Quezon City. According to news reports, Quezon City Police District Director Col. Melecio Buslig Jr. said that her arrest was conducted by elements of the Quezon City police and other PNP units as well as the 16th Intelligence and Security Unit of the Philippine Army.
The human rights group warned of increased incidents of arbitrary arrests and imprisonment under the Marcos Jr. administration. Karapatan has documented at least 762 political prisoners as of December 31, 2024, with 154 of them arrested under the Marcos Jr. regime. At least 462 were illegally or arbitrarily arrested, with 207 detained due to trumped-up criminal charges, including murder and frustrated murder cases.
“Marcos Jr. implements the very same policies of his dictator-father and former Pres. Rodrigo Duterte, using the country’s laws to persecute activists and political dissenters like Cruz-Abraham in attempts to silence them,” said Palabay. “Her arrest is yet another indication that the human rights situation in country is far from rosy. With arrests, killings, abductions, threats and virtual martial law in rural and indigenous communities, there has been no let-up in the attacks on human and people’s rights under Marcos. These should stop,” Palabay stressed.