The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) condemns the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) for arresting and detaining Annie Tauli, an elderly leader of the Batil-ang Peypeyen clan and long-time activist of the Cordilleran people’s movement for genuine autonomy and self-determination. Tauli was picked-up by military agents yesterday at Besao town, Mountain Province.

The Party condemns the media disinformation campaign orchestrated by National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon himself where Tauli is being described as a “top CPP leader” who “came forward to clear her name” to obscure the fact that she was arrested unlawfully and is being detained without charges.

According to reports, Tauli is not facing any criminal charges. However, she has long been subjected to military red-tagging, surveillance and harassment for her involvement in local people’s struggles. Her sister, Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, UN Special Rapporteur on Rights of Indigenous Peoples, has also been repeatedly red-tagged by the AFP.

(updated on June 14: corrected misspelling of Batil-ang Peypeyan)