THE Free Agusan 6 Network calls for the immediate release of the six peasant organizers who were arrested at Bunawan Brook, Bunawan, Agusan del Sur, on June 13, 2025.
The Agusan 6 are comprised of National Youth Leader and former Student Regent of the University of the Philippines System Charisse Bernadine “Chaba” Bañez, youth leader from PUP during her undergraduate years Louvaine Erika Espina, and farmers and farm workers Ronnie Igloria, Larry Montero, Arjie Guino Dadizon, and Grace Niknik Man-aning.
The network emphasized that the six are activists, not terrorists. They further stated that the network has a broader role in upholding human rights and amplifying the calls and campaigns of peasant communities.
Fau Guiani, spokesperson of the Free Agusan 6 Network, said that the situation of the peasant sector has continued to “plummet,” and that this has driven activists and advocacy workers to stand with the plight of farmers.
“The case and situation of the Agusan 6 is a part of a larger systematic crackdown on organizations, individuals, and institutions by Marcos Jr. Regime,” she said in a media press conference on Tuesday, August 26, 2025.
Grecian Asoy, spokesperson of Karapatan-Southern Mindanao Region (Karapatan-SMR), stressed that the Agusan 6 are peasant organizers; hence, they are calling for the abolition of the case.
Asoy added that they are against the transfer of Man-aning to a military facility. She said that the military considers Man-aning a “high-value target”; therefore, they filed a motion to transfer her. She said that the military’s motion is illegal and that the cases against the six should be abolished.
“They are peasant organizers, they are critics of the government because they want na mapabuti yung kalagayan ng mga pesante sa bans [to improve the lives of peasants in the country],” she said.
She said they are in the process of reversing the motion, but the reversal has not yet been approved, adding that they are working with lawyers to fast-track the abolition of the “trumped up” charges against the six.
Meanwhile, former rebels under Kalinaw Southern Mindanao Region denounced the claims that Man-aning (also known to her former nom de guerre as Ka Love Joy or Ka Jelyn) was forcibly taken by the military. In a statement released on August 24, 2025, the group said that the allegations that Man-aning was taken is part of a disinformation campaign by left-leaning groups.
Kalinaw-SMR clarified that Man-aning voluntarily surrendered to the Philippine Army’s 60th Infantry Battalion on August 11, 2025, under a lawful court order and with full consent from her and her family.
Her husband, Leo Taba, reportedly initiated the request for their reunion. They described her emotional reunion with her family as one of relief and joy, contrary to claims by groups such as Karapatan-SMR and the Free Agusan 6 Network that she was abducted.
“Love Joy was never merely a ‘civilian activist.’ She, like the rest of the Jaguar 8, was an NPA fighter. Her involvement in the underground movement is a matter of record, and her decision to leave that life behind deserves respect, not erasure or romanticization,” the group said in a statement.
Kalinaw SEMR called on critics to respect Man-aning's rights and decision to leave the underground movement behind. They warned that the continued spread of false information could face legal consequences.
Earlier, the Agusan 6 were allegedly forcibly pulled out of their vehicle, and armaments as well as explosives were found inside. The six were then taken to the Bunawan Police Station.
The six were arraigned on July 22, and on August 20, 2025, the Regional Trial Court Branch 32 dismissed the attempted homicide charges against Espina in Lupon, Davao Oriental. RGP