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Military abducts Southern Tagalog youth peasant organizer

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On September 28, elements of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) abducted Fhobie Matias, a peasant organizer under the Katipunan ng mga Samahang Magbubukid sa Timog Katagalugan (Kasama-TK) in Calamba, Laguna. Matias was in Laguna for a peasant consultation regarding cases of land grabbing by landlords, farming financial losses, and human rights abuses in various communities.

According to her family, soldiers took Matias to a military camp. They said she was able to send a distress message after her abduction. Her whereabouts remain unknown to date.

Before becoming a full-time organizer for Kasama-TK, Matias served as an organizer for the Anakbayan national office. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she was instrumental in establishing a community pantry in Valenzuela. Matias mobilized youth to highlight the Duterte regime’s criminal negligence and the militarized lockdown measures enacted during this crisis.

“Fhobie Matias’ abduction is concurrent with the worsening crisis faced by peasants and other marginalized sectors in the region,” Kasama-TK stated. Under the Marcos regime, Kasama-TK has recorded numerous cases of abductions, illegal arrests, repression, and Red-tagging against its organizers and supporters.

Kasama-TK and Anakbayan called for the immediate and safe release of Matias by the military. They demand accountability for the military forces involved in the abduction, as well as for President Marcos Jr. himself. The groups highlighted the severity of the crime committed by the US-Marcos regime in October, coinciding with Peasant Month.

AB: Military abducts Southern Tagalog youth peasant organizer