We join various organizations and peasant advocates in condemning the political persecution of Angie Ipong, an elderly activist, by the Duterte government. Ipong is an agro-ecology expert acting as the Unyon ng mga Manggagawa sa Agrikultura’s (Uma) Advocacy and Women’s Desk officer. She, with several others were falsely charged with murder based on a warrant of arrest issued by acting Executive Judge Lou A. Nueva of the Regional Trial Court, Branch 7, Bayugan City, Agusan del Sur on June 6, 2018.

We condemn the political persecution of Angie Ipong and other activists by the Duterte government. This is another baseless and repressive act under Duterte’s de facto martial law rule, targeting peasant activists, peasant women and peasant advocates. We call for the immediate revocation of the warrant and removal of Ipong’s name and others on the murder case.

We were closely working with Ipong during the campaign and advocacy work on the effect of rice liberalization, food security and the importance of agro-ecology to peasant women. Ipong was one of the main speakers of the Rice Summit last year and one of the participants of the National People’s Rice Congress in April 2019. Her advocacy work on agro-ecology had contributed to the organizational development of peasant women organizations from various provinces in the country.