Why you need to read this: The continued detention of Ma. Salome “Nanay Sally” Ujano, a longtime women and child rights defender, is seen as emblematic of the dangers faced by human rights advocates in the Philippines.
Photo by Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates (PAHRA)
In a July 10 press conference, the Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates (PAHRA), Task Force Detainees of the Philippines (TFDP), World March of Women (WMW), Philippines Against Child Trafficking (PACT), Medical Action Group (MAG), and other civil society allies came together to call for her immediate and unconditional release.
Key voices:
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“Nanay Sally does not belong in prison,” said PAHRA Secretary-General Egay Cabalitan. “Her continued detention is a clear injustice rooted in red-tagging used to silence human rights advocates.”
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Fr. Angel Cortez, OFM, of the Conference of Major Superiors in the Philippines, described Ujano’s case as “a mirror held up to the soul of a nation wounded by repression, impunity, and the betrayal of its poorest citizens.”
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“Emotionally, the arrest and relentless red-tagging have left us shaken,” said Klaro Ujano, her son, who has appealed to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for her release. “We’ve experienced deep fear—sometimes even hopelessness—about the current state of our justice system.
The case:
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Ujano was arrested in November 2021 for alleged involvement in a 2005 ambush of two military personnel.
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In 2024, the Taguig Regional Trail Court Branch 266 convicted her of rebellion.
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She was sentenced to 10 to 17 years and four months in prison.
The bottom line: PAHRA and its allies renewed calls for the passage of the Human Rights Defenders Protection Bill, describing it as critical to ensuring the safety and recognition of advocates. “Defending the defenders is defending democracy,” said Cabalitan. Angeline Domingo
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