Release of child rights advocate pressed

THE Conference of Major Superiors in the Philippines (CMSP) — Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation Commission has implored the faithful to stand in solidarity with Ma. Salome “Nanay Sally” Ujano, a veteran child rights advocate who was recently imprisoned for alleged rebellion.

In a statement released on July 13, Fr. Angel Cortez, co-executive secretary of the CMSP, said “her unjust conviction is not just a personal tragedy — it is a mirror held up to the soul of a nation wounded by repression, impunity and the betrayal of its poorest citizens.” Ujano, 67, was arrested in November 2021 for alleged involvement in a 2005 ambush in Quezon province that left two soldiers dead. While she was granted bail in 2022, she was convicted in May 2024 and sentenced to 10 to 17 years in prison. Her legal team has since filed an appeal.

Human rights groups insist the charges against Ujano are politically motivated and baseless. They view her prosecution as part of a broader crackdown on human rights defenders.

On July 10, organizations including the Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates (Pahra), Task Force Detainees of the Philippines and various women’s groups held a demonstration demanding Ujano’s release and urging lawmakers to prioritize the long-delayed Human Rights Defenders Protection Bill.

Jean Enriquez, executive director of the Coalition Against Trafficking in Women-Asia Pacific, emphasized Ujano’s decadeslong dedication to protecting women and children from abuse.

“The accusations against Nanay Sally are outrageous,” Enriquez said. “She has spent almost three decades directly attending to cases of violence against women and children. Her arrest came at a time of heightened government attacks on activists and protests against the Anti-Terrorism Act.” Ujano’s family also spoke out. Her son, Klaro Ujano, expressed the emotional toll her detention has taken on their family.

“We urgently appeal to President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. for her immediate and unconditional release,” he said. “The arrest and relentless red-tagging have left us shaken. We’ve experienced deep fear — sometimes even hopelessness — about the current state of our justice system.” Advocates say the passage of the Human Rights Defenders Protection Bill is critical to preventing further harassment and violence against individuals like Ujano.

Egay Cabalitan, Pahra secretary-general, cited data from Global Witness showing that 196 human rights defenders were killed globally in 2023, including 17 in the Philippines, the highest in Asia. He said many of the attacks are believed to involve state security actors.

“Human rights defenders are tireless in their work for others,” Cabalitan said. “Yet too often, the government sees their advocacy as subversion and labels them enemies of the state.” “Defending the defenders is defending democracy,” he added. “By passing this bill, we recognize that human rights work is essential to building a just and humane society.” Human rights advocates are urging President Marcos to certify the Human Rights Defenders Protection Bill as urgent — a bill that they say would be a decisive step toward ending impunity and protecting those who fight for justice.