HANDS OFF ELMA AWINGAN-TUAZON!HANDS OFF INDIGENOUS WOMEN, ENVIRONMENTAL, AND HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS!

December 2, 2025 - We strongly condemn the harassment and intimidation inflicted on Indigenous Woman human rights defender Elma Awingan-Tuazon and her family by elements of the Kalinga police led by PCol. Gilbert Fati-ig.

On November 30, 2025, police personnel forcibly entered her home in Cawagayan, Pinukpuk, Kalinga while Elma was away with her children—an act that left her family shaken and traumatized. No one deserves this treatment from our own police, and no community should live under such fear.

Elma is a respected advocate for justice, the environment, and Indigenous rights. She is a convenor of Justice and Peace Advocates of Kalinga (JPAK) and Sumkad Umili para iti Matagoan, Karbengan, Aglawlaw, Daga ken Dayaw (SUMKADD). She has long stood against destructive dam and mining projects in the province and continues the proud legacy of Indigenous Youth activism she began with Progressive Igorots for Social Action (PIGSA).

Targeting her is an attack on all Indigenous Women defenders who courageously protect their lands, communities, and future generations—just as we have seen in the case of Betty Belen, another Indigenous Woman defender from Kalinga who faced similar repression.

We urge all advocates and concerned citizens to denounce this harassment and call for the immediate suspension of military operations in Pinukpuk. The growing number of rights violations under intensified police and military presence must end. Stand with Elma. Stand with Indigenous Women defenders.

Reference:

Beverly Longid

National Convener, Katribu