Love Joy was not abducted

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Word on the Street is Kontra-Kwento’s letter to the editor. Send yours to kontrakwento@gmail.com.

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SocMed Card courtesy of Kalinaw Southeastern Mindanao Region

Former rebels under the Kalinaw Southeastern Mindanao Region (Kalinaw SEMR) are compelled to set the record straight on the status of Grace Man-aning, also known to us by her former nom de guerre Ka Love Joy or Ka Jelyn, in light of the recent series of misinformation being spewed by our former comrades in the Communist Party of the Philippines' legal urban mouthpieces.

On August 11, 2025, Love Joy was turned over to the 60th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army following a lawful court order. The decision was made by her family, and with Love Joy's full knowledge and consent. Her husband, Leo Taba, made the initial request for them to be safely reunited. This reunion, which many former rebels yearn for, finally took place, with Love Joy breaking into tears, not of fear or trauma, but of happiness and relief.

Being former members of the CPP-NPA-NDFP, it is not surprising to us that Karapatan-SMR and the so-called Free Agusan 6 Network continue to distort these developments. Like what happened to most of us, they keep ignoring Love Joy's voluntary decision and her family. The claim that she was forcibly taken by the military is a clear malicious fabrication. It is clearly an attempt to salvage their "rescue campaign," more than any sincere concern for Love Joy’s rights or well-being.

Love Joy was not "abducted." She was rescued and safeguarded, under a legal order and at the behest of her family. For Karapatan to suggest otherwise is a gross insult not only to the integrity of the court that issued the order, but to Love Joy's dignity in deciding for herself.

Love Joy’s temporary custody under the 60IB is a matter of security and protection, supported by legal procedure. She does need protection. But not from the military, nor from us, former rebels. She needs protection from serious threats posed by those who wish to silence or manipulate her, because they fear that their lies will unravel and the truth she carries will come to light.

Love Joy was never merely a "civilian activist." She, like the rest of the Jaguar 8, was an NPA fighter. Her involvement in the underground movement is a matter of record, and her decision to leave that life behind deserves respect, not erasure or romanticization.

Kalinaw SEMR urges Karapatan-SMR and the few who still believe them to stop exploiting former rebels like Love Joy to further their tired narratives. If they are truly concerned about her rights and well-being, they should start by respecting her right to speak her truth, her right to live peacefully with her family, and her right to due process.

If this campaign of disinformation persists, we trust that the courts will take due notice. Continuing to spread lies that undermine legal facts and court decisions is not “human rights advocacy.” It is simply disrespect for truth and justice.