By JACINTO LINGATONG
Bulatlat.com
MANILA – “In courts and in the streets I am relentlessly fighting for the release of my friend, driven by the belief that justice must prevail.”
This is the statement of Ida Palo, a close friend of Rowena Dasig, in an interview with Bulatlat. She is one of Dasig’s paralegal and is active in calling for her release.
Dasig was arrested and detained by soldiers of the 85th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army (IBPA) while conducting community research in Atimonan, Quezon province along with community health worker Miguela Peniero on July 12, 2023.
Read: Health worker, volunteer arrested in Quezon
As an environmental defender
Rowena Dasig, fondly called “Owen” by her friends, is the secretary general of Anakbayan Southern Tagalog. Born and raised in the province of Rizal, she studied in the Our Lady of Fatima University (OLFU) with a degree in medical laboratory science.
Due to the challenges she faced during the pandemic, Dasig decided to stop her studies and become a full-time environmental advocate and youth activist. She began her work in human rights and environmental advocacy, serving as a paralegal for Daisy Macapanpan, an environmental defender arrested on fabricated charges.
Dasig became aware of the situation of the indigenous peoples communities affected by infrastructure projects in the region, prompting her to actively campaign for the rights and welfare of the indigenous people.
“More than a year after the illegal arrest of environmental defender Daisy Macapanpan, her paralegal, Dasig, experienced the same situation,” said Palo emphasizing that, “her advocacies made her a target of the state.”
Read: Arrest of environmental activist linked to Ahunan Dam project
Trumped-up charges
In a Facebook post, the military claimed that Dasig and Peniero were arrested by virtue of an arrest warrant, and labeled as members of the New People’s Army (NPA).
However, Southern Tagalog rights groups said that there was no warrant of arrest presented to Dasig while the warrant used against Peniero came from a previously dismissed trumped-up charge and that the military planted evidence of explosives.
Dasig is detained at the female dormitory of Lucena City District jail and facing charges of illegal possession of firearms and explosives while Peniero was transferred to Calamba City Jail, and is facing six additional trumped-up cases including two counts of alleged violation of the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020.
The continuous fight for freedom
Since her arrest, Dasig is deprived of visitation of her paralegals.
“We are disappointed because, as her paralegal, we are not allowed to talk to her, personally, to give assistance, especially since she has medical conditions like psoriasis,” said Palo.
Since Dasig and Peniero were arrested, various progressive groups have continuously called for and mobilized efforts to speak with the two.
Palo shared that there are other young defenders who are experiencing the same challenges and that “the call to free Owen, Miguela, and other political prisoners and to dismiss the fabricated charges imposed on them by the state will not stop.”
“As her friend, I am committed to carry on her advocacies until the day we can stand side by side in our advocacy work once more,” said Palo. (JJE, RTS, RVO)
