The social justice arm of the Conference of Major Superiors in the Philippines has urged Catholics to stand in solidarity with Ma. Salome “Nanay Sally” Ujano, a longtime child rights advocate imprisoned for rebellion charges.
In a statement, the CSMP’s Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation Commission (JPICC) called Ujano “a woman of deep compassion and unshakable commitment to justice.”
“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,” said Fr. Angel Cortez, OFM, co-executive secretary of CMSP.
Ujano, 67, was arrested in November 2021 in connection with a 2005 ambush that killed two military personnel in Quezon province. She was granted bail in December 2022 but was found guilty in May 2024 and sentenced to 10 to 17 years in prison. Her legal team has filed an appeal.
Supporters argue the charges are baseless and reflect broader concerns over the safety and protection of human rights defenders.
On July 10, the Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates, Task Force Detainees of the Philippines, and various women’s groups gathered to demand Ujano’s release and call for the urgent passage of the Human Rights Defenders Protection Bill.
Advocates say the bill is vital to protecting individuals like Ujano, who they say face threats, red-tagging, and unjust legal charges for their work.
Jean Enriquez, executive director of the Coalition Against Trafficking in Women–Asia Pacific and national coordinator of the World March of Women, said Ujano’s arrest came during the height of protests against the Anti-Terrorism Act and amid increasing attacks on human rights defenders.
“The accusations against Nanay Sally are outrageous. She has spent almost three decades directly attending to cases of violence against women and children,” Enriquez said, adding that Ujano’s long history of advocacy makes the charges all the more unjust.
Ujano’s family also called for her release. In a statement, her son Klaro Ujano shared how the arrest has taken a toll on them.
“We urgently appeal to President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. for her immediate and unconditional release. Emotionally, 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,” he said.
Advocates urged Congress to prioritize the Human Rights Defenders Protection Bill and called on Marcos to certify it as urgent.
Egay Cabalitan, PAHRA Secretary-General, cited a Global Witness report showing that 196 human rights defenders were killed worldwide in 2023, with over 2,000 deaths recorded since 2012. In the Philippines, 17 environmental and land defenders were killed in 2023, the highest in Asia. Cabalitan said many of these attacks are believed to involve elements of the state security sector.
“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,” Cabalitan also said. “By passing this bill, we recognize that human rights work is essential to building a just and humane society.”
