The Panay Alliance Karapatan today traced the whereabouts of 62-year-old farmers’ rights advocate Cirila Estrada and Victor Pelayo, 54, in the Philippine National Police (PNP) jail in Roxas City, Capiz, two days after they were arrested by state forces. Both face criminal charges.

Units of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and PNP-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group arrested Estrada and Pelayo in the town of Pan-ay on August 29 and kept their whereabouts in secret. Their relatives and human rights groups were anxious for their near two-day absence.

Pelayo is facing a murder charge that was filed back in 2004. His brother was co-accused in this case which was previously dismissed by the prosecutor. Estrada, who was previously imprisoned from 2010 to 2012, was charged with illegal possession of firearms and explosives.

Panay Alliance Karapatan said the cases filed against them are all fabricated. This is a common tactic of state forces against activists, progressives and human rights advocates to silence them.

“Activists and development workers belonging to organizations red-tagged by the government have been frequent targets of trumped-up charges filed by state security forces based on planted evidence and fabricated testimonies,” the group said.

The victims now add to the more than 750 political prisoners across the country detained by the US-Marcos regime.