Activist not terrorist! Junk the terrorist designation of CPA leaders!

KATRIBU expresses its strongest condemnation of the denial of the petition filed by Cordillera Peoples Alliance leaders Windel Bolinget, Sarah Alikes, Jennifer Awingan, and Steve Tauli challenging their arbitrary designation as terrorists.

This denial by the Baguio City Regional Trial Court Branch 78 is a grave injustice not only against four respected Indigenous Peoples leaders, but against all Indigenous communities who have long defended their ancestral lands from destructive projects and corporate plunder that bring not development, but displacement and environmental destruction. Windel, Sarah, Jennifer, and Steve are known throughout the Cordillera and beyond for their unwavering commitment to defending Indigenous Peoples' rights.

Moreover, the RTC's refusal to review the terrorist designation is a disturbing abdication of its responsibility to uphold due process and protect fundamental rights. The court's denial effectively shields an arbitrary designation from meaningful scrutiny despite the glaring absence of credible basis for labeling these Indigenous rights defenders as terrorists. We assert that these accusations are baseless and aimed at silencing those who challenge big corporations and even state agencies who seek to exploit ancestral lands.

We express our extreme disappointment in the RTC for choosing to uphold a broken, corrupt, and oppressive system that has repeatedly been weaponized against the marginalized. Instead of serving as a safeguard against abuse, the court's decision enables the continued use of counterterrorism measures to harass, intimidate, and suppress Indigenous leaders and rights defenders.

We call on the courts to uphold the principles of due process, accountability, and justice. We demand an end to the weaponization of the Anti-Terrorism Act against Indigenous Peoples, human rights defenders, and legitimate dissent. The struggle for ancestral land, self-determination, and genuine development is not terrorism. Defending the rights and welfare of Indigenous communities is not terrorism. Seeking justice is not terrorism.

We stand firmly with Windel Bolinget, Sarah Alikes, Jennifer Awingan, and Steve Tauli, and with all Indigenous Peoples who continue to resist oppression and defend their collective rights despite relentless attacks and persecution.

Reference: Funa-ay Claver, Secretary General