The Center for Trade Union and Human Rights (CTUHR) is raising the alarm on the increase in terrorist financing cases that are being filed against labor leaders, on top of continuing rights violations including the continued disappearance of a labor organizer and imprisonment of labor activists based on trumped-up charges.

In the past months, terrorist financing cases were filed against AMA-Sugbo-Kilusang Mayo Uno chairperson Jaime Paglinawan together with 26 NGO workers in Cebu, and Unyon ng mga Panadero sa Gardenia Bakeries Philippines, Inc.-OLALIA-KMU vice-president Rhoel Alconera. Both cases are based on testimonies of supposed witnesses who appear to have been coerced by the military and the government.

The case against Paglinawan and 26 others required them to post a bail of PhP 200,000 (around USD 3,400) each on May 15-16, after the court issued warrants for their arrest on May 14. Despite posting bail, the Philippine National Police in Cebu issued a press release containing the mugshots of the 27 accused and claiming that they were arrested for terrorist financing. Some media outfits picked up the press release.

The case against Alconera, which started in February, was junked by the Regional Trial Court Branch 7 on May 8 because the prosecutor was not able to submit more evidence. Despite this, Alconera received information that the complainants will file a motion for reconsideration and submit more evidence.

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