NTF-ELCAC lies about Chantal Anicoche
Malaya Movement USA is disgusted by the NTF-ELCAC's recent statement that is shamelessly posturing to care about the "safety" of Fil-Am Chantal Anicoche, who is illegally detained by the 2nd Infantry Division of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. It is outrageous that this very same government body that has sown nationwide terror and systematized red-tagging and attacks on human rights advocates and activists has the gall to claim that it is "committed to uphold human rights, due process, and transparency" when it has done nothing but the complete opposite.
The NTF-ELCAC's deceptive statement desperately tries to villainize progressive organizations that bring international attention to the plight of the indigenous and peasant communities in the Philippines. They are intentionally obscuring the real questions: Why did the AFP bomb civilian communities on New Year's Day and kill 3 Mangyan-Iraya children along with Jerlyn Doydora? Why is the AFP blocking human rights organizations from conducting fact-finding missions in Abra de Ilog? Why have they continued to deny Chantal her right to speak to her own lawyers and human rights organizations? Why is she being kept incommunicado from those who truly care about her well-being and safety?
The fact is that the AFP has ruthlessly conducted countless war crimes such as aerial bombings of communities and shooting up the homes of civilians in far-flung areas across the Philippine countryside for years, using attack helicopters and weaponry provided by U.S. and Israeli weapons manufacturers while squandering taxpayer dollars that have been misappropriated as foreign military financing. Far away from the eyes of the media, these violations of international law have been perpetrated by the AFP with absolute impunity. It is precisely for this reason that international solidarity delegations are compelled to investigate first-hand the situation of indigenous peasants and farmers, such as those in Mindoro.
Now that a Filipino-American U.S. citizen has personally witnessed and become a victim of the AFP's war crimes, the NTF-ELCAC's propaganda machine has been working on overdrive to spin the situation as a "rescue mission" in order to cover up their illegal acts. How can they have the audacity to claim to "rescue" someone who is a victim of the AFP’s own bombs?
It is unbelievable and illogical that the AFP found Chantal 7 days later hiding in a hole only 400 meters from the site of the attacks and crying out "help". It is basic medical knowledge that a person can only survive 3 to 5 days without water. How many takes did the AFP have to do on this poorly scripted and staged film shoot? The video editing is so amateurish that the video they released even included two instances of the soldiers supposedly "finding" her. Our hearts go out to Chantal for being clearly coerced to act in this idiotic video.
Due to the overwhelming international outcry, the NTF-ELCAC's rabid online troll army has been unleashed to spew the most vile attacks on Chantal and the organizations tirelessly working to free her from the captivity of these AFP monsters. Aside from the obviously staged videos of her "rescue", the AFP and these trolls have produced clearly AI-generated photos attempting to project the false narrative that she was an NPA rebel who is now smiling happily in the custody of the military. And now, in typical gaslighting fashion, they hypocritically "call on organizations, advocates, and commentators to exercise responsibility and restraint." It would not be a surprise at all if NTF-ELCAC Executive Director USec Ernesto C. Torres Jr. used ChatGPT to produce his statement.
Since its creation in 2018 by the fascist Duterte regime that mercilessly murdered over 30,000 Filipinos, the NTF-ELCAC has been the rabid mouthpiece of the fascist Philippine government and military. The NTF-ELCAC's purpose is to silence political dissent, and it has done nothing but wage malicious psychological warfare to spread misinformation and manipulate the facts, leading to red-tagging, i.e. the harassment, arrest, and assassination of the most selfless and compassionate of our kababayan.
Throughout its existence, it has been allocated more than ₱57 billion ($959 million) in taxpayer funds and been subject to audit for "irregularities" and failure to explain its spending. It was revealed that only 26 of the professed 2,318 NTF-ELCAC projects for 2021 had been implemented and none of the 885 projects for 2024 had been completed by August of that year. This proves that the NTF-ELCAC itself is just another ghost project that reeks of government corruption and must be abolished immediately.
Hundreds of organizations and thousands of people across the world that have seen through the lies of the state have been moved to action. But Chantal remains in custody of the fascist Marcos state and we must do everything we can until she is released and reunited with her family.
Take part in online presentations throughout the week to learn more about Chantal, what's happening in Mindoro, and the Marcos regime's dangerous and deceptive "counterinsurgency" project.
Wednesday, 1/14, 5:30pm PT: What is happening in Mindoro? - Anakbayan USA | tinyurl.com/Mindoro114
Thursday, 1/15, 5pm PT: Defending life and land is not a crime - BAYAN USA | tinyurl.com/jan15BYN
Saturday, 1/17, 4pm PT: Stop the bombings! ICHRP US | tinyurl.com/stopthebombings-jan17
Sunday 1/18, 3pm PT: Fight fascism! | tinyurl.com/study-fascism
To Chantal's community in the U.S., continue to amplify our demands and take action now
Sign & share the petition: tinyurl.com/chantal‑petition
Use the advocacy toolkit to contact your legislators: tinyurl.com/chantal‑advocacy‑toolkit
Report your outreach here to amplify pressure: tinyurl.com/SurfaceChantalForm
Release Chantal Anicoche now!
Justice for the victims of the Cabacao Massacre!
Defend Mindoro! Stop the military operations now!
AFP stop blocking humanitarian fact-finding missions in Abra de Ilog!
End the lies! Abolish NTF-ELCAC immediately!
