Human rights group Karapatan – Metro Manila Chapter, together with Bagong Alyansang Makabayan – Quezon City, held a protest in front of the Quezon City Regional Trial Court today to denounce the illegal arrest and detention of union organizer Juan Alexander ‘Bob’ Reyes.
Human rights group Karapatan – Metro Manila Chapter, together with Bagong Alyansang Makabayan – Quezon City, held a protest in front of the Quezon City Regional Trial Court today to denounce the illegal arrest and detention of union organizer Juan Alexander ‘Bob’ Reyes.
Filed against him were trumped-up charges of arson and illegal possession of firearms and explosives.
“Bob should be released immediately. The cases filed against him are obviously fabricated just like all the cases of every political prisoner. The state is maliciously vilifying activism and spreads fear among the people,” said Karapatan Metro Manila coordinator EJ Honorica. arson and illegal possession of firearms and explosives.
The group stated that the crackdown on activists, as well as ‘Oplan Galugad’ against shirtless tambays is a manifestation of undeclared martial law in Metro Manila.
“It is clear that we are living in a quasi-Marcosian times,” Honorica said.
The group believes that the arrest of Reyes and other unionists across the country is an attempt of the government to weaken the intensifying workers’ struggle for their democratic rights, higher wages, and against contractualization.
“Bob actively took part in the campaign to end all forms of contractualization and it is not a criminal act,” Honorica said.
The group also slammed the attacks on the labor movement and considers these a “fascist offensive that breeds resistance and contradicts the declaration of the government’s commitment to peace”.
Karapatan also expressed disapproval in the Duterte government’s refusal to free more than 503 political prisoners slapped with trumped-up charges. The group stated that the crackdown on activists, especially on the workers’ organizations, impedes the resumption of the peace negotiations between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and the National Democratic Front (NDF).
The group also call for the immediate resumption of peace talks despite the government’s move to postpone it for three months.
“The government always circumvents the issue by maliciously accusing the revolutionary movement ‘violations’ they did not commit. Socio-economic reforms mean more than a stand-down agreement,” Honorica said.
The post Human rights group calls for immediate release of detained union organizer appeared first on Manila Today.
