Women’s group in Cordillera decries harassment of leader

Despite being cleared of all charges, she remained a target of state suppression.

MANILA – Local chapter of Gabriela decried the recent harassment against its leader by the members of the military. 

In an alert released by Innabuyog Kalinga, its chairperson, Beatrice “Betty” Belen was visited by the members of the 503rd Infantry Brigade of the Philippine Army on Sept. 28 at her home in Uma Del Norte, Lubuagan Kalinga. The next day, Sept. 29, they were visited again by the same team of soldiers led by army officer Lawrence Busway, informing Belen that she and her husband were on a list of persons who were allegedly designated as “NPA” (New People’s Army). According to Innabuyog, they were told that “they needed to consult with them to clear their names.” 

Innabuyog said that in July this year, the police also said the same. The group said Belen’s family is the first among nine individuals in the community to face these accusations, which were communicated to them by local police in July 2025.  “They were not given the opportunity to question the basis of the labeling or to understand why they were being targeted,” the group said.

Innabuyog said that the persistent red-tagging and labeling against Belen arose after the intensified implementation of the Provincial Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict program, specifically the Kalinga Convergence of Communities, Resilience, Empowerment, Sustainability, and Transformation (KCREST). 

“The program is being used to attack innocent civilians. Labeling individuals as ‘NPA’ constitutes harassment, red-tagging, and a serious threat to their safety and peace of mind,” the group said. 

Belen is known for leading the fight against destructive projects in their area such as the Chevron Energy company’s geothermal power project in Kalinga.  

In October 2020, Belen was arrested in her house in Uma Del Norte, Lubuagan, Kalinga at 4:00 a.m. Belen and her family members were ordered to leave their house while state forces conducted a search. She was then charged with illegal possession of firearms and explosives. The case was eventually dismissed by the courts in February 2021. “Despite being cleared of all charges, she remained a target of state suppression. Betty, her family, and the other individuals named reject these human rights violations perpetrated by state forces,” Innabuyog said. (RVO)

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