Former political prisoners, Lumad rights defenders file countercharges vs PNP for illegal arrest, prolonged detention

August 11, 2025

Quezon City — Former political prisoners Julieta Gomez, a Manobo woman activist, and Niezel Velasco, an Indigenous Peoples’ rights advocate, filed countercharges at the Office of the Ombudsman against officials of the Philippine National Police (PNP) for their illegal arrest and detention in July 2021.

The filing is accompanied by a picket organized by Katribu Kalipunan ng Katutubong Mamamayan ng Pilipinas, together with other Indigenous Peoples and human rights groups.

Julieta and Niezel were incarcerated for nearly four years on fabricated charges of murder, attempted murder, and illegal possession of firearms and explosives—all of which were eventually dismissed due to lack of evidence. They were acquitted on April 8, 2025.

Separately, Niezel faced additional trumped-up charges of estafa, unjust vexation, and maltreatment, filed under the name “Mary Jane Velasco,” a case entirely unrelated to her. These baseless accusations have also been discharged and dismissed, respectively.

“This is proof that human rights activists will not remain silenced or stripped of their rights,” said Funa-ay Claver, spokesperson of Katribu. “The filing of legal pushbacks is part of the campaign to end judicial harassment and fabricated charges against rights defenders. We will not allow state security forces, such as police officials, to evade accountability for attacks against Indigenous Peoples defending their communities.”

Kim Falyao of Bai Indigenous Women’s Network emphasized the deep connection between Indigenous Women and their ancestral lands. “In our communities, Indigenous Women play a vital role in caring for and protecting our ancestral domains, preserving culture, and sustaining livelihoods. The state knows this, hence the harassment and intimidation we face.”

Katribu and allied groups condemned the PNP’s actions as part of a broader pattern of state persecution and judicial harassment targeting Indigenous Peoples, human rights defenders, and activists. They vowed to pursue accountability and continue resisting attacks on the rights of Indigenous communities.

“We must shatter the shield of impunity that protects perpetrators from justice, allowing these rights violations to persist. Our communities cannot, and will not, be sacrificed to a system where wrongdoers roam free and victims are forgotten,” Claver concluded.

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Reference:

Funa-ay Claver

Spokesperson

Katribu Kalipunan ng Katutubong Mamamayan ng Pilipinas

+63 969 024 4465