Jonathan Frederic De Santos

Free Amanda Echanis Movement Facebook page

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ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1768384885720615436089_1293823592781532_6650883388020299712_n.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Free Amanda Echanis Movement Facebook page</span></span></span></div><p>MANILA <strong>(UPDATED)</strong> — A Tuguegarao, Cagayan court has acquitted activist Amanda Echanis in an illegal possession of firearms and explosives case that rights groups and her supporters have long said were baseless and made up.</p><p>Judge Racquel Reyes-Aglaua of Tuguegarao City Regional Court Branch 10 said prosecutors &quot;failed to establish all the essential elements of the offenses charged&quot; and had failed to present proof beyond reasonable doubt of Echanis&#x27; guilt. </p><p>She said in her ruling that the state&#x27;s evidence &quot;did not overturn the accused&#x27;s constitutional presumption of innocence.&quot;</p><p>The Free Amanda Echanis Movement, which announced the acquittal on Wednesday morning, said the acquittal is justice for Echanis.</p><p>They said it is also a reason to hope for the aqcuittal and release of others like her who fight for the rights of basic sectors but whom, they said, the government suppresses and subjects to illegal arrest.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/12/08/20/detained-activist-amanda-echanis-wala-po-akong-baby-armalite-baby-lang">Detained activist Amanda Echanis: &#x27;Wala po akong baby armalite, baby lang&#x27;<br/></a></div><p>&quot;Patunay ito na mananaig ang hustisya sa sama-samang pagkilos. Patunay ito ng kawalan ng kredibilidad ng reaksyunaryong estado. Patunay ito na mapapalaya rin natin ang iba pang mga bilanggong politikal,&quot; they also said.</p><p>(This is proof that justice will prevail through collective action. This is proof that the reactionary state has no credibility. This is proof that we will also set other political prisoners free)</p><p>The military and police arrested Echanis in Baggao, Cagayan on Dec. 2, 2020, only a month after she had given birth.</p><p>Authorities said they found grenades, an M16 rifle and ammunition in the house where she was staying when they conducted a raid before dawn.</p><p>Rights alliance Karapatan said that authorities only presented their warrant when the raid had already started.</p><p>&quot;The legal counsel of Echanis noted that the supposed evidence used against her was found in a room which is not even occupied by Echanis and her child,&quot; it also said in a statement on Wednesday.</p><p>Reports from 2020 noted that supposed witnesses of the implementation only arrived hours later and that the military and police were in the house by themselves for hours.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/12/03/20/daughter-of-slain-anakpawis-leader-is-part-of-communist-underground-sinas">Daughter of slain Anakpawis leader is part of communist underground: Sinas<br/></a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>&#x27;A RESOUNDING INDICTMENT&#x27;</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>Karapatan welcomed the acquittal, calling it &quot;a resounding indictment&quot; on what they said was the government&#x27;s use of &quot;political repression and fabrication of charges, and evidence&quot; against activists.</p><p>Gabriela Women&#x27;s Party said the acquittal also affirmed early objections to irregularities surrounding her arrest and the case against her.</p><p>&quot;Malinaw na pinatunayan ng desisyon ng korte na gawa-gawa ang mga kasong isinampa kay Amanda (This decision clearly proves that the cases against Amanda were fabricated),&quot; Gabriela Rep. Sarah Elago said.</p><p>Elago attended the promulgation to personally express solidarity and underscore the call for the release of all political prisoners.</p><p>Kabataan Party-List Rep. Renee Co, a lawyer, called the court&#x27;s decision long overdue.</p><p>&quot;[L]imang taon ang ninakaw kay Amanda dahil sa red-tagging at gawa-gawang kaso na pinalabas siyang [New People&#x27;s Army].&quot;</p><p>(They already took five years from Amanda because of red-tagging and the made-up cases to make her out to be a member of the NPA)</p><p>Both lawmakers called for the release of other political prisoners as well for accountability from government officials and personnel who arrested and charged Echanis in the first place.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>&#x27;THEY CANNOT JAIL THE TRUTH&#x27;</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>Mamamayang Liberal Party-List Rep. Leila De Lima also welcomed the acquittal: &quot;Patunay ito: Hindi kayang ikulong ang katotohanan, at lagi’t lagi, mananaig ang hustisya.&quot;</p><p>(This is proof that they cannot jail the truth and that justice will always prevail)</p><p>De Lima, whom the Duterte administration jailed for drug-related cases that courts have since dismissed, said &quot;the weight of what you have endured&quot; and offered Echanis advice as she adjusts to her regained freedom.</p><p>&quot;Hindi natin tiyak ang panahon at kung kailan ito magiging mahinahon at tunay na makatarungan. Ang tiyak lamang ay marami tayong patuloy at sama-samang naninindigan. That is something no amount of repression can take away from us,&quot; she said.</p><p>(We cannot say when we will get true justice but we can be sure that there are many of us who will continue to stand up together.)</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>&#x27;COMMON ALLEGATION VS POLITICAL PRISONERS&#x27;</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>Echanis, an organizer of women peasants&#x27; group Amihan, was among more than 400 political prisoners facing illegal possession of firearms and explosives cases, Karapatan said in 2020 when she was arrested.</p><p>&quot;Planting of firearms and explosives is the best way to [to justify the government&#x27;s stance that activists are terrorists],&quot; Karapatan lawyer Maria Sol Taule said in 2020, since &quot;all other crimes in the Revised Penal Code are harder to prove.&quot;</p><p>The group said then that the circumstances of her arrest were similar to other cases of activists arrested without being shown a warrant and without being able to observe the search for weapons and explosives authorities said they found.</p><p>Journalist Lady Ann Salem of Manila Today was arrested a few days later on a similar charge as were many others in a series of raids on International Human Rights Day.</p><p>The firearms and explosives complaint against Salem was dismissed in February 2021.</p><p>A Tacloban City court is expected to hand down its decision on an illegal firearms and explosive case against community journalist Frenchie Mae Cumpio and lay worker Marielle Domequil — also arrested in 2020 — on January 22.  <strong>— with Vivienne Gulla, ABS-CBN News</strong></p>

<p>A Tuguegarao, Cagayan court has acquitted activist Amanda Echanis in an illegal possession of firearms and explosives case that rights groups and her supporters have long said were baseless and made up.</p>

A Tuguegarao, Cagayan court has acquitted activist Amanda Echanis in an illegal possession of firearms and explosives case that rights groups and her supporters have long said were baseless and made up.

Court acquits activist Amanda Echanis in firearms and explosives case

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Court acquits activist Amanda Echanis in firearms and explosives case

Jonathan de Santos,

ABS-CBN News

Published January 14, 2026 06:10 PM PHT

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Updated January 14, 2026 07:09 PM PHT

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