Innabuyog-Kalinga and Innabuyog-Cordillera condemned the 503rd IBde for its new case of harassment, intimidation, and Red-tagging against Beatrice “Betty” Belen at her home in Uma Del Norte, Lubuagan, Kalinga. Belen is currently the chairperson of Innabuyog-Kalinga, an indigenous women group in the province.

According to Innabuyog-Kalinga, eight soldiers led by a certain Lawrence Busway visited Belen on September 28. The group said the soldiers had no clear reason or any legal basis for going to Belen’s home.

On September 29, the same military troops returned to inform Belen and her husband that they were part of a so-called “list of NPA members” and that they needed to “clear their names.” Innabuyog-Kalinga stated that “no evidence was presented, and the victims were denied the opportunity to question state forces or to be given the chance to refute these allegations.”

The group believes this intensified repressive campaign is part of the Provincial Task Force-Elcac’s implementation of its Kalinga Convergence of Communities, Resilience, Empowerment, Sustainability, and Transformation (KCREST). “The program is being misused to attack innocent civilians, and labeling individuals as ‘NPA’ constitutes harassment, red-tagging, and a serious threat to their safety and peace of mind,” the group said.

The Belen family is among the nine individuals in the village who are facing baseless and malicious accusations from the Marcos regime. The police earlier informed them of these allegations in July.

State forces’ attacks on Belen’s rights are not new. In October 2022, Belen was arrested after her home was raided and authorities claimed that three rifles were confiscated from her. She was released nearly four months later.

“Even after being cleared of charges, she remains a target of state suppression,” said Innabuyog-Kalinga. The group and the Belen family emphasized that state forces must be held accountable for human rights violations and that these injustices must end.