Policemen arrested a human right defender in Aparri, Cagayan at around 8 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 28. Agnes Mesina, Makabayan-Cagayan Valley coordinator was with the community mercy outreach team when policemen came.

A member of the team was able to stream the arrest live via social media platform Facebook.

According to the officer, Mesina is being arrested for murder charges.

But on July 21, 2021, charges of murder against Mesina, along with Cordillera Peoples Alliance Chairperson Windel Bolinget and four other activists, were dismissed by Tagum Regional Trial Court Branch 30.

Ephraim Cortez, secretary general of the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL), said that “the arrest is illegal since the warrant had already lost its force and effect.”

“The PNP [Philippine National Police] definitely knows this, and should immediately release her,” Cortez said in a Facebook post.

Mesina was also subjected to red-tagging.

As of this writing, no information is available if new charges have been filed against Mesina.

The community outreach team was supposed to provide humanitarian aid, relief and psychological services to residents of barangay Sta. Clara, Gonzaga, Cagayan who experienced aerial bombing in the last week of January.

According to the Karapatan-Cagayan Valley, the team was blocked by a group of men holding tarpaulins bearing the names and photos of Mesina and Anakpawis Partylist 4th Nominee Isabelo “Ka Buting” Adviento. The humanitarian mission was also not allowed to enter the community.

“Due to intimidation and harassment, the team decided to not push through. Some of the men in motorcycles even tailed the team,” the group said.

In a statement, human rights group Karapatan said that “clearly, Mesina’s arrest is illegal and is meant to further block and intimidate the team from reaching the community in Gonzaga, Cagayan.”

“That her illegal arrest occurred amid the ongoing election campaign period also makes it clear that her arrest is part of ongoing efforts to harass, vilify, and suppress the Makabayan coalition and the political opposition,” the group added.