“Ang National Action Plan for Unity, Peace, and Development (NAP-UPD) ay nagsisilbing tulay para mas mapabilis yung pagre-red-tag sa mga aktibista at kritiko ng administrasyong korap sa ilalim ng rehimeng US-Marcos-Duterte,” said Juan Gabriel Carmen of Karapatan National Capital Region (NCR).
Earlier this year, the Marcos Jr. administration laid out the NAP-UPD as a “blueprint for peace” led by the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), a task force established through a “whole of nation approach” under Executive Order No. 70 of the former Duterte administration, which rights groups lambasted as a notorious red-tagger.
Gabriel echoed the Supreme Court ruling on the dangers of red-tagging, which would then be institutionalized under NAP-UPD. He also added the weaponization of the law through the Anti-Terrorism Act and the Terrorism Financing Prevention and Suppression Act (TFPSA) issued under Duterte’s watch.
“Sa katunayan, hindi lamang mga aktibista kundi maging mga mamamahayag, lider-manggagawa, indigenous groups, at ordinaryong mamamayan na nagpapahayag ng saloobin at hinaing,” Carmen added.
This year also marks the fifth year of continued detention of Romina Astudillo, Mark Ryan Cruz, Jaymie Gregorio, and Joel Demate of Human Rights Day 7 (HRD 7). These are four labor organizers under Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) NCR who have been arrested on illegal possession of firearms and explosives charges. Manila Today editor Lady Ann Salem, Sandigan ng Manggagawa sa Quezon City organizer Rodrigo Esparago, and labor organizer Dennise Velasco were among the HRD 7 who have been freed.
Prolonged detention
“Napakawalanghiya nitong gobyernong ito,” KMU NCR vice chairperson Gerry Serue stressed.
The remaining four of the HRD 7 are his colleagues and fellow labor organizers. Under KMU NCR, Cruz was elected as the Regional Executive Committee member along with Astudillo as the deputy secretary general and Gregorio as a Regional Council Member. Demate was their colleague who organized for Solidarity for Labor and Rights Welfare (SOLAR).
“Sila ay mga organisador ng mga manggagawa at mamamayan. Sila ang tumutulong magbigay ng edukasyon sa mga manggagawa. Tinutulungan sa pagbalangkas ng collective bargaining ng mga manggagawa para sila ay magkaroon ng maayos na kalagayan sa loob ng paggawa,” he added.
On December 9, various human rights groups and advocates trooped to Camp Karingal in Quezon City and Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City to demand the dropping of charges and the immediate release of the remaining labor organizers of the HRD 7. Astudllo is currently detained at Camp Karingal, while the others are at Camp Bagong Diwa.
In Camp Bagong Diwa, Unyon ng Manggagawa sa Harbor Centre (UMHC) former president Eldefonso Bello was among those who participated in the protest.
“Mahusay sila bilang guro sa mga pag-aaral naming mga manggagawa sa Harbor Centre. Marami sa buhay naming karanasan ang nabigyang linaw, tulad ng nagpapatuloy na kawalan ng nakabubuhay at barat na sahod, kontraktwalisasyon, union busting at iba pa,” Bello said.
Bello remembered Astudillo, who also helped organize and establish the Manila Workers Unity.
He then recalled that Cruz and Gregorio would help the union’s studies and activities. Through their guidance and teaching, many members recognized the importance of upholding labor rights and welfare.
“Naalala ko noon nung ako na ang nagtuturo sa kapwa ko manggagawa at nagpapatuloy pa rin silang gumagabay amin,” Bello added.
From reset hearings to tampered laptops
On June 23, Demate attended his hearing at the Manila City Regional Trial Court only to find out that it had been reset for a month later. He lambasted the justice system as “usad pagong” and that those who are innocent and illegally detained are only being accused of crimes they did not commit.
On the other hand, on November 26, Astudillo also attended her hearing at the Quezon City Regional Trial Court. Karapatan NCR coordinator Gabrielle Vistan was the paralegal attending Astudllo’s court hearing.
During the hearing, Vistan shared that Astudillo was asked to present evidence. Her work laptop, which had not been seen since her arrest, was brought to the courtroom. It was further revealed that the laptop had been tampered with as Astudillo could no longer access it through her fingerprint password. Vistan also noted that Astudillo did not even recognize the admin user logged onto her laptop.
“Iyon yung laptop niya na ginagamit sa pang-araw araw na trabaho kung saan siya nagsusulat ng mga statement, balita, pati yung paglalayout bilang bahagi ng gawain niya sa KMU NCR,” Vistan stated.
Serue emphasized that the Marcos Jr. administration is deliberately prolonging the detention of these labor organizers.
“Dahil nga itong gobyerno na ito ay alam naman natin na napakawalanghiya at hindi mga totoong tao na kausap. Gumagawa sila ng iba’t ibang pamamaraan para patagalin ang mga nakakulong sa piitan,” Serue stressed.
“Actually, yung pagpaprotesta kapag may hearing sila ay isa sa mga hakbang na dapat mailantad tulad ng paglalabas ng pekend warrant ni Justice Villavert,” he added.
Former Quezon City RTC executive judge Cecilyn Burgos-Villavert was notorious among human rights groups and was dubbed the “factory search warrant queen.”
Since 2018, pre-dawn raid operations led to the arrest and filing of trumped-up charges against 76 activists, including peace consultants, unionists, and journalists in Manila and Bacolod based on search warrants by Villavert.
Last year, Villavert was among the shortlisted applicants in the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC), where she eyed a position as an Associate Justice of either the CA or the Sandiganbayan.
It must be noted that the Villavert warrant cases followed the same crackdown pattern, which was accompanied by the planting of firearms and grenades. In fact, shortly after the arrests transpired, the NTF-ELCAC labeled the HRD 7 and other crackdown victims as “urban operatives” and “high-ranking cadres” of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and the New People’s Army (NPA).
“Sa ngayon, kung tingnan nga natin yung ginawang korupsyon sa gobyerno, ito ay napakalaki at lalo pang lumalala. Bakit itong mga tumutulong sa mga manggagawa at sa mamamayan ay ikinulong nila, samantalang itong mga may napakalaking pagnanakaw ang kanilang ginawang kasalanan. Bakit hanggang ngayon hindi pa sila nakukulong?” Serue lamented.
“Dapat patuloy nating ikampanya ang agarang pagpapalaya sa mga bilanggong pulitikal dahil sa katotohanan wala naman silang kasalanan. Hindi mali ang mag-organisa at tumulong sa kapwa, sa mga estudyante, sa mamamayan, sa mga manggagawa, at iba pa na nangangailangan na mamulat sa katotohanan ng kalagayan ng mamamayang Pilipino,” he added.
