Is holding a community feeding program a crime? Should posting a photo of yourself with a placard prompt an arrest inside your home without a warrant? Should joining a noise barrage merit threats of detention from local officials? Does the lockdown, Bayanihan Act and other laws provide no place for the condemnation of a probable state-sponsored extrajudicial killing of an activist and relief operations volunteer?

At least 76 relief operation volunteers and activists were reported arrested in separate incidents by the Philippine National Police (PNP) on Labor Day, May 1.

Of the 76 arrested, 10 are part of relief operations in Marikina; 42 are those who held a caravan in Jaro, Iloilo condemning the killing of activist Jory Porquia inside his home on April 30; 18 are volunteers and residents of a community kitchen in Barangay Central, Quezon City; 4 activists in Valenzuela City who joined the online protests; and 2 activists in Montalban, Rizal.

Meanwhile, 16 Coca-Cola workers were “forced to surrender” in Camp Vicente Lim, Laguna.

 

Marikina feeding program
In Barangay Industrial Valley Complex, Marikina, 10 were arrested by Marikina police while conducting a community feeding program for the poor and disenfranchised due to the total lockdown. The feeding program was organized by Cure Covid, Marikenyo at Marikenya Bayanihan, and Lingap Gabriela has been ongoing for more than a month.

Authorities arrested seven jeepney drivers, two teachers, and one community volunteer with Gabriela around 9am. The Marikina police said that the volunteers violated the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act (BAHO), the law that gave President Rodrigo Duterte additional powers for at least three months to address the COVID-19 outbreak in the country.

Marikina City Mayor Marcelino Teodoro took the initiative to order immediate release of 10 volunteers and said the police is “overreacting.” The mayor defended the volunteers were observing the social distancing while conducting the distribution of relief operation and the police might misconceive the act of volunteers with placards with the call of mass testing.

“Maaring may placards silang dala pero May 1 ngayon, eh, bahagi ito ng pag-e-exercise nitong constitutional rights nila na freedom of expression,” Teodoro said.

[They may have brought with them placards, but it’s May 1 today, this is an exercise of their constitutional right to freedom of expression.]

Earlier this morning, the 10 volunteers were released. Teodoro himself presented to the media the resolution from the fiscal that stated the police were not able to present sufficient evidence against the arrested relief volunteers.

https://www.facebook.com/GabrielaWomensParty/photos/pcb.1322300971313230/1322300924646568/?type=3&theater

 

Iloilo EJK protest caravan
The 42 who were nabbed in Iloilo said they were allowed to hold their program led by the daughter of the slain activist and Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan)-Panay to demand justice for the extrajudicial killing of Bayan Muna Partylist Iloilo City coordinator Jose Reynaldo “Jory” Porquia. But before they left, they were arrested along with the media persons covering the event and a lawyer responding to the scene to provide legal assistance.

“This is yet another of the harassment, nuisance and idiotic charges against lawyers merely exercising their profession and performing their duties,” said the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL) in a statement

The arrested lawyer, Atty. Angelo Karlo Guillen, is a member of NUPL’s chapter in Panay.

The arrested activists, priest, lawyer and members of the community media were detained at Jaro Police Station, facing charges of violating Batas Pambansa 880 or the provision on “illegal assembly”, disobedience to persons in authority, violation of the Republic Act 11332 or the Mandatory Reporting of Notifiable Diseases and Health Events of Public Health Concern Act and BAHO.

“The directive and orientation of the police-military leadership is clear: no mercy, no quarters given and no local civilian official can stand in the way (especially if it involves the Left) because we call the shots. That’s San Roque, Norzaragay, Barangay Central, Marikina and others,” said NUPL President Edre Olalia.

By 7pm of May 2, Olalia was informed by Guillen that bail has been granted by a local judge to the 42 activists and journalists. Ten, including Guillen, were released while others detained in other jails being processed for release before curfew sets in at 8pm. All 42 were eventually released this evening.

 

https://www.facebook.com/panaytoday/photos/pcb.3050579258333525/3050578928333558/?type=3&theater

 

An Iloilo judge allowed them to post a bail of P12,000 each.

 

Community kitchen in QC
The 18 volunteers and residents of Barangay Central, Quezon City (QC) were arrested by police after groups Cure Covid and Tulong Kabataan launched Kusinang Kabataan for workers on Labor Day, a community kitchen effort that the group has been doing for a while now. They were summoned by the barangay for participation in activities to commemorate Labor Day.

Around 1:30pm, 15 residents and jeepney drivers sought assistance because they are being called by the barangay, accusing them of participating in Mayo Uno activities. Our volunteers went to the barangay hall where they were immediately escorted to Camp Karingal by four policemen in plain clothing. 

Tulong Kabataan sought the immediate release of the 18 arrested by the Quezon City police.

“We firmly believe that relief operations, like the ones being launched by Tulong Kabataan, must not be vilified, especially with the growing number of people being impoverished by the lockdown and the pandemic,” said Tulong Kabataan in a statement.

As of 6pm of May 2, those arrested are still waiting for the resolution of the fiscal regarding the charges being recommended by the Quezon City police.

https://www.facebook.com/tulongkabataannetwork/photos/a.669276586425529/3121117224574774/?type=3&theater

 

Protesters in Valenzuela City taken from their homes
The four arrested from Barangay Paso de Blas in Valenzuela City participated in online protests and “protests from home.” They are leaders of Kilos Na Homeless and Liga ng Manggagawa sa Valenzuela City. Police men said they were arrested inside their homes due to their activities posted on social media. They were detained for four hours and were released without charges filed against them.

 

Military, police forced workers to surrender as former rebels in Laguna
PAMANTIK-KMU sent out an alert past midnight of May 1 that workers of Coca-Cola in Sta.Rosa, Laguna were pulled out from their factory on April 30 at around 2pm by elements of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the PNP for a supposed program to be held at a military camp for Labor Day.

 

The group raised their concern that the workers will be presented as “rebel returnees”, led by the PNP and a certain Rey Medellin, a former worker of Coca-Cola who turned back on the workers and their labor struggles. What happened could be said is as they predicted.

The Police Regional 4A Office reported on the incident as follows:

https://www.facebook.com/PIO.CALABARZON/posts/3066435096728676?__xts__[0]=68.ARDozgJ83rFf_-QLTOfcBRvmiP_gs83eacR523FeHMwQaiECfIk0U7psdfVylZBHFUlt7MHWFyU_f4ZIrYf_phuoM9WkiC2JttEEiFxQEgmvhP1CMvYqZV7HvMBT1dexRAJEEBpjjlK6scEOkLNXmT3u1G4WsUIULzIeYeX8rNTk_cNHlaogZnoBccor-uZQGmKuAfGWej_RYNY8t7rwoh4rSjMAFdAQoipUCYDNeWJtI7E1aYxd-qU8Yw6GeDy8eRLNAhfB7UlBSD-qP10AdfOKB4U33kAIpQ1UGjObpKhX_scTRlQJYvvaxrGt73-UmTqynCPd5MiQcsNafJNohiR9lA&__tn__=-R

 

Media reports on “surrenderees”–only taking after what the police authorities reported–were tagged as “fake news” by some netizens.

 

The group also said the PNP have been conducting anti-union seminars, bring workers of Coca-Cola to Fort Sto. Domingo in Sta. Rosa, Camp Vicente Lim in Calamba City and Camp Macario Sakay in Los Baños, all three locations found in Laguna. They said that nine contractual workers of Coca-Cola were brought to Camp Sakay on April 23 and were interrogated about their activities by PNP elements who did not identify themselves and in the presence of Medellin. They were promised to be made regular workers if they stop joining protests. This was followed by Medellin and PNP and intelligence agents going to homes of the workers and scaring them to “clear their names” even during the time of the lockdown in Luzon.

 

Baseco, Manila residents who joined protest from home threatened
Meanwhile, Gabriela Baseco leader Lina Malayao was summoned by Barangay Captain Dianna Espinosa to the barangay call. Espinosa asked Malayao who participated in their “kalampagan” or noise barrage and told them protests are prohibited and for they they will be detained. Malayao was told she will summon on May 2 all those who joined the noise barrage.

https://www.facebook.com/manilatodaydotnet/photos/pcb.2592474834352440/2592474064352517/?type=3&theater

 

Human rights group Karapatan assailed the “brutality and sheer lack of compassion” of the Duterte administration as it enforced a “policy of mass arrests and fascism instead of addressing mass hunger and the grossly inadequate government response on International Workers’ Day.”

“Instead of responding to the socioeconomic needs of the people, these mass arrests will only worsen the plight of the poor. ‘Yung tumutulong, ikinukulong. ‘Yung mga opisyal na lumalabag sa batas, binibigyan ng special treatment. In the face of State violence and repression and Duterte’s blatantly anti-poor and anti-worker regime, these arrests should make everyone realize that it is but just and it is but right to speak out and act for our people’s rights and wellbeing,” said Karapatan Secretary General Cristina Palabay.

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