The Philippine military on Sunday denied allegations of abduction regarding a former rebel who surrendered in Mindoro, calling statements by leftist groups “distorted and full of lies.”

In a statement, Brigadier General Randolph Cabangbang, commander of the 203rd Infantry Brigade, said Phobie Matias voluntarily surrendered on September 28, 2024 after being a member of the New People’s Army (NPA) from 2018 to 2022.

“Phobie was with her mother and two siblings when she surrendered and requested that she stay inside an Army camp for the safety of her family,” Cabangbang said.

He added that Matias underwent medical check-ups, including tests for Ectrocardia, upon surrender.

“This medical condition is one of the reasons why Phobie surrendered,” Cabangbang said. “Accordingly, the armed group, while allowing her to go on medical leave, refused to provide financial support for her check-ups.”

The military claimed that Matias became disillusioned with the NPA, describing difficult conditions within the organization.

“Phobie said that she felt that the real oppressor is the NPA,” Cabangbang noted. “She also recalled asking for leave to attend her father’s wake and burial, a request that was denied by the armed group.”

However, leftist groups including Anakbayan, KASAMA-TK, and the International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines (ICHRP) have alleged that Matias was abducted.

Cabangbang dismissed these claims, stating: “This episode is another ABDUCT-SURFACE-DONATE scheme orchestrated by unscrupulous human rights groups aiming to manipulate public perception by passing surrenders as abductions.”

He added that such tactics “involve prompting authorities to surface the surrenderees and subsequently using social media to solicit donations, framing the situation to gain sympathy and support while obscuring the true nature of the events.”

Matias reportedly executed sworn statements denying the allegations published by these groups.

According to Cabangbang, she stated that she was a Peasant Youth Organizer for the NPA operating in the Island of Mindoro.

The military asserted that Matias’ surrender reflects a collective desire of those tired of the “lies being propagated by leftist groups,” including her mother, who had been searching for her daughter since she joined the NPA.