Progressive and human rights groups staged a protest in front of Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City on Monday to condemn what they described as the "illegal detention" of Filipino-American activist Chantal Anicoche, who remains under the custody of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
Around 50 protesters joined the rally, calling for Anicoche’s immediate release.
Migrant and human rights advocates argued that the military no longer has any legal basis to keep Anicoche in custody after she was reportedly found in an encounter area during clashes between government troops and the New People’s Army (NPA) in Occidental Mindoro, according to a report on dzRH's Operation Tulong by Edniel Parrosa.
The groups accused the military of unlawfully detaining Anicoche despite an earlier statement from the Philippine Army’s 2nd Infantry Division (2ID), which said that an undertaking was signed allowing the activist to stay at the Station Hospital inside Camp Capinpin in Rizal for medical reasons.
The 2ID had earlier identified Anicoche as a “person of interest” in connection with ongoing focused military operations in Abra de Ilog, Occidental Mindoro. The Philippine Army has been conducting operations in the province since January 1, 2026, citing intelligence reports that high-ranking personalities of the communist movement may still be operating in the area.
Human rights and migrant groups, however, maintained that Anicoche, 25, a Filipino-American community organizer and recent psychology graduate of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), went missing following reported military bombardment during the encounter. They stressed that her continued stay under military custody constitutes illegal detention.
Meanwhile, in an exclusive interview with Magandang Umaga Pilipinas, Philippine Army spokesperson Col. Louie Dema-Ala confirmed that an encounter with the NPA did take place in Mindoro.
He said some of those involved were allegedly recruited youth, whom he claimed included Anicoche.
Dema-Ala emphasized that military operations are ongoing to ensure the safety of civilians and government troops in the area. He also confirmed that the Philippine Army is coordinating with the U.S. Embassy regarding Anicoche’s situation and remains in communication with her family to ensure her safety.
