While being detained in a small and cramped cell at the Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit (CIDU) inside Camp Karingal, activist and indigenous people’s rights advocate Myrna ‘Micah’ Cruz-Abraham was able to write three tercet poems.
She shared these poems with Manila Today, humbly insisting she is not a skilled writer. Yet, despite her life struggle, Cruz-Abraham remains steadfast in her principles as a mother, a teacher, a rights advocate, and above all, a proud activist.
On February 4, eight days after her arrest, Micah was released upon posting bail on frustrated murder allegations. Despite her freedom, her legal battle stemming from political persecution remains.
I know thee where I stand
Change the world, my brand
Struggle to survive
Micah’s humble beginnings were marked by tireless persuasion, perseverance, and an unwavering commitment to achieve genuine freedom and a just society. Born to a working-class family, her father was a jeepney driver while her mother sold goods at the market. “We were the literal definition of living hand to mouth,” she recalled.
She witnessed firsthand the intensifying economic hardships brought about by skyrocketing oil prices and the impacts of martial law. But it was an invitation to an educational discussion with workers that changed the course of her life.
On her 19th birthday, Micah joined an educational discussion with workers from Engineering Equipment, Incorporated (EEI) in Mandaluyong. It was also then that she began helping workers bring their struggles with low wages, lack of benefits, contractualization, and other labor issues to churches, congregations, and allied sectors for support.
From 1974 until 1977, Micah decided to become a full-time labor organizer.
“In our efforts to reach out to churches, we were able to establish labor desks. These became the foundation for support groups for workers. At the time, Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) wasn’t yet established. By 1977, I was fully committed to organizing and raising awareness,” Micah shared.
Beyond her firsthand experiences, Micah joined Kabataang Makabayan (KM) in high school in 1968. It was then that she developed a passion for learning and reading political books, including The Little Red Book by Mao Zedong, which fueled her activism.
“There was so much to learn from it, even verses and short stories. It provided a framework for understanding what society should be, what justice truly means, and why equality is essential. I grasped these concepts early on, and I was drawn to the idea of ‘serving the people,’ which the book often emphasized. So, I delved into it further,” she explained, emphasizing how she resonated with the book’s principles about justice, equality, and service to the people.
Micah often expressed her desire for societal change, believing that it could only be achieved by standing with the masses.
When she entered college, she pursued a degree in Education majoring in English and History at Jose Rizal College. Even after graduating, her love for learning remained unquenched, and she extended her knowledge to the workers she organized.
“When you revisit books at different points in time, you gain deeper insights. It helps you understand the meaning behind your actions in the present, serving as a valuable guide,” she said.
They want to break me, I won’t
Worst situation be;
courage and perseverance I got
“There is no real change because the system remains the same and the root causes of poverty are never truly addressed. Farmers still have no land of their own, and it’s not the Filipino people who benefit from our natural resources but rather the monopolist capitalists. That’s why nothing changes. The only thing that ever does is the regime, but the structure of capitalism within it remains intact,” Micah explained.
On March 22, 2010, Micah was abducted in Pamplona, Cagayan. Four policemen accosted her and forcibly threw her into a white van, almost like an animal. She was immediately blindfolded and handcuffed.
She was held incommunicado for two nights before rights advocates discovered that she was being detained at the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) in Tuguegarao City.
Such an experience was deeply traumatic for Micah. She was interrogated, accused of being a terrorist, and questioned about her cause—why she wanted to overthrow the government. It was the same script of political persecution that had persisted since the horrors of Martial Law, she recalled.
Micah was slapped with charges of murder and violation of the gun ban during the election period. She spent almost nine months in jail before she was released on December 23, 2010.
Fifteen years later, Micah endured the same tragic fate.
On January 27, Myrna was accosted and arrested by eight plainclothes police personnel from a rehashed frustrated murder allegation in San Rafael, Bulacan. She was then transferred to the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group in Quezon City on the same day of her arrest.
Micah explained that whenever genuine change is being pursued, those powers-that-be who want to maintain the system of oppression will take desperate actions to prevent it. She further explained that while activists play a role in raising awareness, it is the people who are the true driving force behind any movement, and this is what the state seeks to prevent through violence.
“Even when these political persecutions happened to me, I always kept in mind that I did nothing wrong to the people. That’s why I’m not afraid, even if they kill me or arrest me because I did not betray the people. I did nothing wrong because I know that I have served them to the best of my ability,” Micah said.
These repressions of activists, according to Micah, are but an old tactic. Since 1968, Micah recalled how activists have been made to disappear, imprisoned, and tortured. Micah said she was mentally prepared for these possibilities, knowing that such things could happen to her.
“I’ve been observing every action they were doing since the second time I got arrested. From my experience, it is important to not lose yourself. Know your enemy; know yourself. Study your next move. Because in my mind, they could plant intels. That’s why I think the continuous intimidation and harassment while I’m in detention is a way for them to gather pieces of a puzzle. They have different ways of doing that,” Micah furthered.
While in CIDU, Micah was placed in a holding cell along with 11 other persons deprived of liberty (PDL). They were all cramming in a small cell, almost like sardines, as Micah recalled.
Being the smallest among them, Micah was pressed against the wall. During the night, she would sleep in a fetal position, while she observed some PDLs had to lift their legs to sleep straight instead of lying flat.
“PDLs are in such a pitiable state. Their routine is simple—sleep and eat. That’s all we do there. There’s no focus on their development. We wake up at 6:30 AM, eat at 7:00 AM, then sweep, take a bath, and sleep again. By 9:00A AM, they’re back to sleep. They wake up just before 11:00 AM for lunch, then sweep again. After that, it’s back to sleep. The only activity we had was being allowed outside for a brief moment on Sundays, just enough to get some sunlight,” Micah added.
Day by day, Micah said she endured intimidation tactics from police personnel thinking that she was off guard. But Micah remained defiant and shrugged them off.
“They really insist on labeling me as armed, trying to brand me as a murderer, but they have no logical reason for it. I am simply a peaceful advocate for the rights of the people, for the national minorities, the workers, and the farmers. They can’t find any justification. And with these fabricated charges, they will not succeed. We can prove that this is wrong. The truth will always prevail. That the cause of activists is just, that the cries of workers for a better life are right, and that the demands of farmers for genuine land reform are justified. In the end, revolution is only just and the people’s struggle will prevail,” Micah asserted
Again, this time we fight
Red star upright
Our fervor flaming soar high
“I really want to be a writer, but I’m not good at it. However, I was able to finish translating a book, it was a Vietnam book called ‘I Engaged in Intelligence Work’ and that’s one of the things I’ve held on to during times like this of abduction,” Micah laughed as she shared.
Micah said she read the book in 2011, or a year after her first arrest.
It was written by General Dinh Thi Van who worked for about a decade in intelligence work in Vietnam. Micah said the story of General Van depicted the very reason why Vietnam succeeded in their revolutionary struggle in 1955.
Currently, Micah serves as member advocate for Sandiwa, a network for indigenous people’s rights in their struggle for right to self determination.
“Being a member of Sandiwa is significant and impactful because it helps reach more people who are unaware of the real situation of indigenous peoples and other national minorities like the Moro. Sandiwa, as an advocacy group, aims to reach many sectors. We organize various activities, supporting events that celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ days. It’s really important because this isn’t taught in schools,” Micah shared.
For Micah, the fight is more than just a political struggle as it lies within the power of the masses.
“The real change will only come when the people rise, when they are aware of their rights and demand justice. It is only then the people who bring about genuine and meaningful change, and no amount of political persecution will stop that,” Micah emphasized.
