Student-activist Amanda Echanis acquitted, released after 5-year detention

By Nash Villena, Philippine Canadian Inquirer
January 14, 2026

ACQUITTED. Political prisoner Amanda Echanis posed for a group photo with her counsel and supporters following her case acquittal by a local court in Cagayan on Wednesday (Jan. 14, 2026). (Photo courtesy: Gabriela Women’s Party/Facebook)

MANILA, Philippines — Filipino student-activist Amanda Echanis was acquitted on Wednesday after a Cagayan local court junked the charges of illegal possession of firearms and explosives filed against her.

Echanis, a writer and a peasant organizer, was arrested during a raid in Baggao, Cagayan on December 2, 2020, and has since been detained for about five years as civil society organizations and human rights advocates call for her release.

The Gabriela Women’s Party openly welcomed the court’s decision to acquit Echanis of her trumped-up charges, noting that the practice of planting evidence has long been weaponized to suppress community organizers, human rights defenders, and private individuals exercising their democratic rights.

“Pinatunayan ng araw na ito na nananaig ang hustisya sa sama-samang pagkilos. Magpapatuloy ang ating laban hanggang mapalaya ang lahat ng bilanggong politikal,” the party-list wrote on a post.

(This day only proves that justice prevails in collective movement. Our fight will continue until all political prisoners are set free.)

Kabataan Partylist Rep. Renee Co shared a similar sentiment by stressing how government agencies, such as the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), serve as an instrument to silence progressive leaders.

“Limang taon siyang kinulong pero malaya pa rin ang mga kurakot, lalo na ang mga mastermind. Her case, among many others, serve as an example as to why Filipino youth keep rising up to seek for alternatives against this rotten system, in any way they can,” said Co.

(She was jailed for five years, yet corrupt officials are still at large, especially the masterminds. Her case, among many others, serve as an example as to why Filipino youth keep rising up to seek for alternatives against this rotten system, in any way they can.)

Non-profit law firm Sentro Para sa Tunay na Repormang Agraryo (Sentra), who serve as Echanis’ counsel, said that her prolonged detention based on allegations by state forces sets a chilling precedent that erodes the public’s trust in government institutions.

“The acquittal of Amanda is a victory for justice, but it must also serve as a reminder: defending human rights and serving the farmers, the poor, and the oppressed is not a crime,” Sentra said. “The government must guarantee that activists, community leaders, and advocates can continue their work without fear of harassment, surveillance, or arrest.”

Echanis notably made history during her detention as the first political prisoner to get elected to a top councilor post at the University of the Philippines Diliman Student Council in 2025.