AFP abducts former UP CMC student

Human rights group Karapatan Southern Tagalog criticized the Marcos Jr. administration, linking Tallow’s abduction to a broader pattern of attacks against peasants and activists in Southern Tagalog and Bicol.

LEGAZPI CITY – The joint Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) – Philippine National Police (PNP) abducted peasant organizer Faye Margarette Tallow during its raid on the evening of Sept. 4 in Labo, Camarines Norte. Tallow, who remains missing, is now facing an attempted homicide charge according to the Philippine Army.

Backed by the report of the Philippine National Police (PNP) Kasurog Bicol, the Philippine Army’s own official Facebook post on Sept. 7 confirmed Tallow’s arrest.

The State forces tied the name “Faye Margarette Tallow” with that of one “alias FATIMA, 29 years old, a member of Platoon Reymark, SRMA-4B, and a resident of #9 Avila St., Vista Verde Executive Village, Brgy. San Isidro, Cainta, Rizal” who was alleged as “successfully arrested in a joint police and military operation at around 4:20 AM on September 6, 2025 in Purok 5, Brgy. Malasugui, Labo, Camarines Norte.”

“Alias Fatima has a standing warrant of arrest for Attempted Homicide issued by the Municipal Trial Court, Lopez, Quezon on December 10, 2020,” PNP Kasurog Bicol’s report added. 

Philippine Army Spokesperson Col. Louie Dema-ala rejected allegations that government troops abducted Tallow, describing the claims as “baseless” during his interview with the Manila Standard, Sept. 7. 

Rights groups in Bicol and Southern Tagalog launched a Quick Response Team (QRT) on Sept. 6 to verify reports of a military raid on a farmer’s residence where Tallow stayed that led to her abduction. 

Based on the findings of the QRT, soldiers from the 16th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army (IBPA) conducted the raid around 6:00 pm of Sept. 4 in Brgy. Malibago and illegally arrested Tallow without any coordination with the local government unit (LGU) of Camarines Norte.

Tallow was arrested without presenting a warrant, according to the report of other officials in Brgy. Malibago. Witnesses also testified that a “surrenderee” with the military claimed that a warrant was not necessary as Tallow is their former acquaintance. She was also detained in the military camp for more than 24 hours before being transferred to undisclosed locations.

Despite claims that she was later turned over to Lopez Municipal Police Station (MPS) then to the Gumaca MPS in Quezon, the humanitarian team Tanggol Quezon confirmed through police logbooks that Tallow was never in custody there and her whereabouts remain unknown.

Human rights group Karapatan Southern Tagalog criticized the Marcos Jr. administration, linking Tallow’s abduction to a broader pattern of attacks against peasants and activists in Southern Tagalog and Bicol under the 201st Infantry Brigade, citing recent aerial bombings in Tagkawayan, Quezon and the arbitrary arrest of peasant organizer Fatima Banjawan in Sta. Elena, Camarines Norte.

“Sgt. Jonathan Vender of the 201st IBPA is the leading soldier in the locality who is sowing human rights violations not only against the people of Camarines Norte but also in Quezon,” said Nimfa Lanzanas, spokesperson of Karapatan Southern Tagalog.

“The Marcos Jr. regime turned the countryside into a battlefield instead of addressing the copra price crisis and the exploitation of farmers in the communities,” Lanzanas added.

Kabataan Partylist Bicol condemned the military tactic to completely deceive the people and sow terror in the peasant communities. “Just like the previous administrations, Marcos Jr. chose to silence the voices of the poeple like Faye’s,” the group said. 

“Instead of listening to the grievances of ordinary citizens such as students and farmers, violence and human rights violations are the response we receive,” said Nic Valencia of Kabataan Partylist Bicol. “The youth who are promoting the rights of the farmers and who are working tirelessly to serve the people are not criminals. The criminals who should be held accountable are these military men who are looting, killing, and blatantly violating our human rights!”

Who is Faye?

Faye Tallow is a former student of the University of the Philippines Diliman College of Media and Communication (CMC) and Chairperson of the Student Alliance for the Advancement of Democratic Rights (STAND) UP – CMC before she became a peasant organizer in the province of the Bicol region.

The UPD CMC  expressed grave concern over reports that their former student is still missing. “As our former student in BA Broadcast Communication and chairperson of STAND- UP CMC, Faye was active in the academic and student life of our College. We value her contributions to the University of the Philippines’ student movement,” UPD CMC said. 

UPD CMC is worried about her health and safety. They demand that her military abductors surface her immediately and ensure she receives necessary medical and psychological assistance, in full recognition of her human rights.

“It is infuriating that trumped-up cases are being filed and that the number of political prisoners is increasing. But in this situation, it is important that our position is clear that it is not activists and organizers who should be imprisoned!” said KASAMA UP. Karapatan Bicol and Southern Tagalog demanded the immediate surfacing and release of Tallow and urged the Commission on Human Rights, the UN Human Rights Council, and the International Criminal Court to launch independent investigations into what it described as systematic state-sponsored human rights violations in the Bicol region. (RTS, DAA)

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