Abduction of human rights defenders Francisco “Eco” Dangla III and Joxelle “Jak” Tiong
On 28 March 2024, human rights defenders Francisco “Eco” Dangla III and Joxelle “Jak” Tiong were discovered bruised but alive, as reported by a fact-finding mission team from local progressive groups in the Philippines. The two human rights defenders had been abducted on 24 March 2024, in Pangasinan province, Philippines.
Francisco “Eco” Dangla III and Joxelle “Jak” Tiong are environmental human rights defender from Pangasinan province, in the Philippines, upholding environmental rights and human rights with a particular focus on the marginalised communities of farmers and fisherfolk. The human rights defender is a convener of the Pangasinan People’s Strike for the Environment (PPSE) established in 2021. PPSE is also part of the Pangasinan Empowered Action on Care for the Environment (PEACENet) that included the Social Action Networks of Caritas in the Dioceses of Urdaneta and Alaminos, and the Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan. Francisco “Eco” Dangla III and Joxelle “Jak” Tiong were actively engaged in various faith-based environmental initiatives, including the Pangasinan Ecumenical Fellowship and the Justice and Peace Church Ecology Ministry of the Diocese of Dagupan – Lingayen. Through these platforms, they contributed to environmental campaigns across 15 towns and 55 parishes. The two human rights defenders also advocated for the protection of the Lingayen Gulf from black sand mining, opposing the proposal for six nuclear plants in Labrador Municipality, campaigning against coal-fired power plants, and resisting the establishments of waste incinerators for waste-to-energy projects. Additionally, as participants in the Environmental Defenders Congress (EDC) and the Asia Pacific Network of Environmental Defenders (APNED), Francisco “Eco” Dangla III and Joxelle “Jak” Tiong also worked to enhance protection and accountability mechanisms for environmental and human rights defenders facing attacks.
On 28 March 2024, human rights defenders Francisco “Eco” Dangla III and Joxelle “Jak” Tiong were discovered bruised but alive, as reported by a fact-finding mission team from local progressive groups in the Philippines. The two human rights defenders had been abducted on 24 March 2024, in Pangasinan province, Philippines.
Francisco “Eco” Dangla III and Joxelle “Jak” Tiong are environmental human rights defender from Pangasinan province, in the Philippines, upholding environmental rights and human rights with a particular focus on the marginalised communities of farmers and fisherfolk. The human rights defender is a convener of the Pangasinan People’s Strike for the Environment (PPSE) established in 2021. PPSE is also part of the Pangasinan Empowered Action on Care for the Environment (PEACENet) that included the Social Action Networks of Caritas in the Dioceses of Urdaneta and Alaminos, and the Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan. Francisco “Eco” Dangla III and Joxelle “Jak” Tiong were actively engaged in various faith-based environmental initiatives, including the Pangasinan Ecumenical Fellowship and the Justice and Peace Church Ecology Ministry of the Diocese of Dagupan – Lingayen. Through these platforms, they contributed to environmental campaigns across 15 towns and 55 parishes. The two human rights defenders also advocated for the protection of the Lingayen Gulf from black sand mining, opposing the proposal for six nuclear plants in Labrador Municipality, campaigning against coal-fired power plants, and resisting the establishments of waste incinerators for waste-to-energy projects. Additionally, as participants in the Environmental Defenders Congress (EDC) and the Asia Pacific Network of Environmental Defenders (APNED), Francisco “Eco” Dangla III and Joxelle “Jak” Tiong also worked to enhance protection and accountability mechanisms for environmental and human rights defenders facing attacks.
On 24 March 2024, the human rights defenders were abducted in Barangay Polo, San Carlos City, Pangasinan, where witnesses reported seeing them being mauled and dragged into an SUV. Before their abduction, Dangla III and Tiong were subjected to intimidation, harassment, and red-tagging by State security forces, unjustly labeling them as “terrorists” and “threats” linked to the New People’s Army, the armed wing of the Communist Party.
Front Line Defenders expresses grave concern for the safety of Francisco “Eco” Dangla III and Joxelle “Jak” Tiong, as it believes this is in reprisal for their environmental and human rights work. It urges the authorities in the Philippines to cease reprisals against human rights defenders and ensure a safe environment for them to carry out their human rights work. It also underscores the importance of addressing the physical and psychological well-being of the two human rights defenders’ families and colleagues.
