“The military’s actions aim to undermine the rights of marginalized sectors, including farmers and women, and silence those advocating for change.”

SAN PABLO, Laguna — Pauline Joy Banjawan, the missing Bayan Muna Southern Tagalog campaign coordinator, was found detained in a Batangas jail after two days of searching.

According to Bayan Muna ST, Banjawan was found in the custody of the Philippine National Police in Santo Tomas, Batangas province, on April 28, 4:30 pm. She is being charged with illegal possession of firearms and explosives.

The party-list organization stated that the 59th Infantry Battalion “abducted” Banjawan and brought her to police custody on April 27, 9:00 p.m.; approximately 36 hours since her last communication with her mother.

“The truth is, [Banjawan] was in the military’s hands for almost two days and underwent physical or mental torture at the hands of the 59th IB,” the group said.

Banjawan last messaged her mother on April 26, 3:00 p.m., claiming that “suspicious people” were tailing her. At the time, she was in Sto. Tomas as part of Bayan Muna’s campaign activities for the 2025 midterm elections.

A fact-finding team immediately began searching for her whereabouts when she could not be reached.

The fact-finding team went to the PNP’s Regional Mobile Force Battalion 4A headquarters in Camp Macario Sakay, Los Baños, Laguna; and the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group office in Camp Vicente Lim, Calamba, Laguna, to inquire. In both instances, the PNP denied any knowledge, and claimed that they did not have her in custody.

Human rights watchdog Karapatan Southern Tagalog described Banjawan’s arrest as “baseless and part of a continuing campaign to target activists and suppress opposition ahead of the May elections.”

According to Karapatan ST spokesperson Rev. Luisito Saliendra, Banjawan’s abduction and subsequent arrest are “part of the [Ferdinand Marcos Jr.] regime’s ongoing militarization designed to suppress genuine opposition ahead of the May elections.” The group noted the similarities between the circumstances behind Banjawan’s abduction and that of Andy Magno’s, a Kabataan Party-list coordinator who was similarly illegally arrested in Isabela province last April 25.

“Both cases reflect the government’s use of military force to intimidate political opposition and suppress democratic participation,” the group said. Karapatan ST added that the abductions against the party-list campaign coordinators are “not just an attack on activists [but] … an attack on the democratic process itself.”

This is not the first time the 59th IB has been implicated in cases of harassment against campaign coordinators. Last February, Karapatan ST also reported that Desiree Dimailig, the Batangas coordinator for Gabriela Women’s Party was the victim of intimidation and harassment.

“The military’s actions aim to undermine the rights of marginalized sectors, including farmers and women, and silence those advocating for change,” asserted Karapatan ST. 

Dimailig is also the auditor for Sugarfolks Unity for Genuine Agrarian Reform, an organization of sugarcane farmers established last 2023 in the wake of the closure of the Central Azucarera de Don Pedro, the province’s largest sugar mill.

Dimailig, a local of Tuy, has been the victim of the military’s harassment since December 2024 when elements of the 59th IB began encamped in at least three barangays in the municipality. According to Karapatan ST’s report, elements of the 59th IB have continually asked about Dimailig from December 2024 to February 2025, requesting to “talk to her” with no clear reason given.

The group also highlighted the 59th IB’s track record in Batangas since 2022, which includes the killing of farmer Maximino Digno in Calaca and nine-year old Kyllene Casao in Taysan. The 59th IB is also implicated in the disappearance of Mariano Jolongbayan.

“These cases of abduction, harassment, and intimidation are not isolated incidents but part of a broader pattern of political repression in Southern Tagalog,” Karapatan ST said.  “The 59th IB’s actions are part of the government’s efforts to undermine democratic processes and suppress legitimate political opposition.”

Karapatan ST is calling for Banjawan’s immediate release, as well as the release of Magno and “all victims of abductions, harassment, and political persecution.” They are also urging the Commission on Human Rights to conduct an “independent investigation” on the ongoing militarization in the Southern Tagalog region.

“The state may try to stop the movement for justice, but its repression only fuels resistance,” the group said. “We will continue to demand justice for Pauline Joy Banjawan, Andy Magno, and all victims of abductions and political persecution.” (RVO)