Human rights group Karapatan and other progressive groups decried the recent slew of arrests against activists, among those were trade union activists and a peace consultant from the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP).
Wigberto Villarico, an NDFP peace consultant, was arrested along with his companion Marjorie Lizada, during a joint military and police operation led by AFP’s Joint Task Force Katagalugan and PNP on Thursday, October 24 in Quezon City.
Meanwhile, labor leaders Gavino Panganiban and Maritess David were also apprehended on Sunday, October 27 in Pililla St. Makati, City. Panganiban serves as the Pagkakaisa ng Manggagawa sa Timog Katagalugan – Kilusang Mayo Uno (PAMANTIK-KMU) Director for Campaigns, while David is a staff of Organized Labor Union in Line Industries and Agriculture (OLALIA) – KMU.
NDFP consultant’s rights should be observed in accordance with JASIG, CARHRIHL – KARAPATAN
Villarico’s arrest should be prohibited under the Joint Agreement of Safety and Immunity Guarantees (JASIG) and the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRHIL), Karapatan asserted.
“At 68, he [Villarico] suffers from spondylitis, hypertension, heart arrhythmia, asthma, diabetes and prostate enlargement, among others. He must be accorded his rights to competent medical care and legal assistance under International Humanitarian Law,” said Karapatan in its statement.
Villarico is the third NDFP consultant to be arrested this month of October, following the illegal detention of Porferio Tuna in Mindanao and Simeon Naogsan in Northern Luzon.
Meanwhile, in a press statement, Marco Valbuena, the Communist Party of the Philippines’ (CPP) spokesperson, refused to confirm the claims made by the National Security Council (NSC) Adviser Eduardo Año that Villarico serves as the acting chairperson of the underground organization. The police and military also allegedly claimed that Villarico is the secretary of CPP’s Southern Tagalog Regional Party Committee as well as a member of the CPP’s political bureau.
“What we know is that Mr. Wigberto Villarico is a peace consultant of the NDFP who for years has actively pushed the issues, concerns and demands of workers, peasants and minority people, students and other sectors in Southern Tagalog,” Valbuena said.
The spokesperson furthered, “His arrest and detention, along with his companion Marjorie Lizada, was carried out at the height of a tropical storm which he was closely monitoring to help advise the NDFP’s forces in organizing and mobilizing assistance and resources to those in need.”
KARAPATAN also criticized the claims of the AFP regarding Villarico’s identity.
“Meanwhile, the AFP is caught in its own lies with Villarico’s arrest. The military alleges that one of Villarico’s aliases is “Benjamin Mendoza.” Yet in October 2012, the 2nd Infantry Division of the Philippine Army had already arrested a security guard who, they claimed, is “Benjamin Mendoza” with a PhP5.6-million bounty on his head. The security guard, Rolly Panesa, was severely tortured and illegally detained before the courts ruled that he is not Benjamin Mendoza.
In a situation that could only be called farcical, then Southern Luzon Command chief Maj. Gen. Alan Luga tried to block Panesa’s release and continued to list his arrest as one of the AFP’s “accomplishments.” Admitting to their mistake would have compelled them to return the P5.6-million bounty they had already feasted on.”
The human rights group aired its concern regarding the continuing warrantless arrests.
“With the multi-million peso bounties being dangled by the Marcos Jr. regime for the neutralization of purported communist leaders, another “Benjamin Mendoza” may turn up in the future under this arbitrary, greed-driven system of “orders of battle” and rewards,” KARAPATAN said.
Workers groups’ clamor for the junking of the fabricated charges against Southern Tagalog labor leaders
Meanwhile, in response to the arrest of labor leaders Gavino Panganiban and Maritess David, various workers’ groups and human rights organization KARAPATAN – Southern Tagalog staged a camp out in front of the premises where they were accosted in, on Monday October 28.
“We are here to launch a fact-finding mission in order to launch an autonomous investigation regarding the arrests of labor organizers Panganiban and David,” said Mags Carmoral of Defend Workers Southern Tagalog.
Panganiban is currently facing murder and attempted murder raps. While David is charged for violating the Comprehensive Law on Firearms and Ammunition. The charges were said to stem from a police raid of the former office of the Alyansa ng Manggagawa sa Engklabo in Santa Rosa City on March 30, 2021.
Earlier, a confrontation between the humanitarian team and the Makati PNP was exchanged when the police forbade the team to enter the premises, stating that the area is under investigation. Yet, the police have yet to produce the search warrant that they need to conduct such.
“We came here with the humanitarian team and the families of the arrested in hopes of launching an independent investigation. However, we are met by members of the police who bar us entry from the house where Panganiban and David are staying. From previous experiences, we can say that we are not confident that the police will not plant evidence,” said Carmoral.
In a separate statement, Antonio Fajardo, the acting chairperson of PAMANTIK-KMU, slammed the recent arrests of their labor leaders.
“Hindi pa nakakabangon ang Luzon sa matinding bagyo, hikahos ang mga manggagawa, pero ang inaatupag ni Marcos Jr., ng AFP at PNP, panunupil at pang-aaresto ng mga naglilingkod at tumutulong sa manggagawa. We stand that the charges against Panganiban and David are utterly baseless and were only done in attempts to suppress the workers’ dissent over stagnant wages in the face of high prices,” Fajardo said.
[“Luzon has yet to recover from the onslaught of the typhoon, the workers remain to be impoverished. Yet it seems that Marcos Jr., AFP, and PNP prioritize state repression and unlawful arrests of those who serve for the welfare of the working class. We stand that the charges against Panganiban and David are utterly baseless and were only done in attempts to suppress the workers’ dissent over stagnant wages in the face of high prices,”]
Fajardo asserted that Panganiban and David were closely monitoring the situation of the workers and were coordinating relief operations in the Southern Tagalog region after the onslaught of the Severe Tropical Storm Kristine when they were illegally arrested by the state forces.
PAMANTIK-KMU said that Panganiban, a unionist from Plastic Group and Fine Chemicals in the 1980s, and David, a former school teacher who later on became a paralegal and labor organizer, led successful campaigns for workers’ rights and welfare within the Southern Tagalog region.
The group demanded that the two should be given access to legal aid through a lawyer of their own choosing or through efforts of human rights groups, while allowing aid for their medical considerations. Panganiban and David both suffer from hypertension. While Panganiban also is undergoing medical aid from his various eye ailments.
The group elaborated that the recent arrest of Panganiban and David and the government parading them as top ranking terrorists only manifest the degrading climate for workers’ rights in the Philippines. The country is ranked as one of the “Worst Countries for Workers” by the International Trade Union Council’s 2024 Global Rights Index.
“Hindi terorismo ang manawagang magkaisa ang mga manggagawa para sa sahod, trabaho at karapatan. Kung nagyayabang ngayon ang AFP, PNP at NTF-ELCAC, pinapatunayan lang talaga nilang isa ang Pilipinas sa may pinakamasahol na kalagayan para sa mga anakpawis,” ended Fajardo.
[“It is not terrorism to fight for the workers’ right to unite for just wages, jobs, and rights. If the AFP, PNP, and NTF-ELCAC are gloating about their “victory”, then they are the living proof that the Philippines is truly one of the worst places for the working class to be,”]
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