Malaya Movement USA demands the immediate release of Chantal Anicoche, who is being held without a legal cause by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) at Camp Capinpin in Rizal.

We are enraged to learn that 24 year-old Chantal Anicoche, a Filipino-American former student leader based in Baltimore and steadfast advocate for the Philippines, was attacked by the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

In blatant violation of international humanitarian law, the AFP launched an aerial bombing campaign on a civilian indigenous community on January 1, 2026 in Abra de Ilog, Occidental Mindoro, where Chantal was staying as a researcher. She remains missing to this day.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines, specifically the 203rd Infantry Brigade and the 2nd Infantry Division, viciously bombed and strafed civilians in Abra De Ilog, Mindoro. They killed a student researcher, Jerlyn Doydoya, another civilian, and at least 3 Indigenous Mangyan-Iraya Youth.

It’s been 2 months since Malaya USA’s immersion trip concluded, where we met community members impacted by the Marcos-Duterte regime’s fascist policies. We integrated with the loved ones of victims of Duterte’s deadly drug war, peasant farmers in Negros where multiple high profile extrajudicial killings have happened in recent years, and Lumad indigenous people of Mindanao who have been subject to harassment and intimidation by state forces.

Since the trip, there have been significant developments in these communities.

Hear their stories.

Tell the Philippine Bureau of Immigration (BI) & the Philippine Ambassador to the United States: Remove human rights defender Julie Jamora from the BI blacklist!

The petition to Commissioner Joel Anthony M. Viad of the Philippine Bureau of Immigration and Philippine Ambassador Jose Manuel Romualdez, and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. reads:

“Stop suppressing and censoring human rights advocates, including ending the Republic of the Philippines’ status quo policy of blacklisting foreign-based human rights defenders. Remove long-time Philippine human rights advocate Julie Jamora from the BI blacklist.”

This International Human Rights Day, we want to recognize the contributions of human right defenders around the world and especially those fighting for human rights in the Philippines. 

1. In September and November, thousands took to the streets in the Philippines against corruption and hundreds were arrested and faced vicious cruel police brutality.

2. Throughout the year, we’ve seen the release of 8 Filipino migrants, through the efforts of their loved ones, advocates, and Tanggol Migrante Movement. 

3. In November, Julie Jamora, Malaya USA’s Secretary General,  was denied entry into the Philippines in November 2025 and was placed on the blacklist due to her role as a community leader and human rights activist.