Tag Archives: Arrests and detention

[Statement] on the arrest of health worker Dr. Natividad ‘Naty’ Castro | CHR

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Statement of the Commission on Human Rights on the arrest of health worker Dr. Natividad ‘Naty’ Castro

The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) expresses grave concern over the manner of arrest of health worker Dr. Natividad ‘Naty’ Castro early Friday, 18 February 2022 in San Juan City.

Dra. Naty had been red-tagged for her work as a human rights and development worker. Before the pandemic hit the country in 2020, Castro initiated several health programs in Mindanao. She also brought members of the Lumad community before the United Nations in Geneva to seek help against harassment in their areas. She also once served as secretary-general of rights group Karapatan in the Caraga region.

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[From the web] On the arrest & detention of Doctor Ma. Natividad Castro | FLAG

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STATEMENT OF THE FREE LEGAL ASSISTANCE GROUP (FLAG) ON THE ARREST, DETENTION, AND WHEREABOUTS OF DOCTOR MA. NATIVIDAD CASTRO:

FLAG is gravely concerned as to the whereabouts of Dr. Ma. Natividad Castro.

On February 18, 2022, police officers took Dr. Castro from her home in San Juan, pursuant to an alleged Warrant of Arrest issued by RTC Branch 7 of Bayugan City.

FLAG was retained as counsel by Dr. Castro’s relatives when she was taken from her home. FLAG immediately sought access to Dr. Castro at the Intelligence Group, Camp Crame where she was reportedly brought and detained. Before this, Dr. Castro’s sister, who was also at Crame, was also not allowed access, as was another lawyer, who was a friend of the family.

Upon inquiry, police officers from the Intelligence Group informed FLAG that Dr. Castro was no longer at Camp Crame as she was supposedly “brought to the airport” to be “delivered to the court” in Butuan City. Family members proceeded to the airport but were not able to see her there. The scheduled flight to Butuan took off without any confirmation of Dr. Castro being on board. Requests for copies of the warrant of arrest, reports and documents relative to Dr. Castro’s arrests and transportation likewise went unheeded.

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[Press Release] Illegal arrests are terrorist acts; HB 6875, unconstitutional – EILER

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Illegal arrests are terrorist acts; HB 6875, unconstitutional 

Ecumenical Institute of Labor Education and Research (EILER) strongly condemns the illegal arrests conducted by state forces this week with which six jeepney drivers from Caloocan and seven labor rights defenders from Cebu are currently detained.

It has been several days since the Northern Police District illegally arrested the drivers during their Busina Para Sa Balik-Pasada program due to alleged violation of the social-distancing local ordinance. It was seen in photos that they did not violate such protocol, same with the seven rights defenders from various organizations in Cebu yesterday who were violently dispersed.

“The surge of protests is valid and inevitable for communities that are suffering due to quarantine restrictions. The poor drivers in Manila and those arrested in Cebu are simply airing out their concerns. Further, the phaseout of jeepneys is looming, and is being pushed amid a health crisis,” Executive Director Rochelle Porras said.

The railroaded HB 6875 or proposed Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 still needs the president’s sign but is now essentially in effect. The bill’s flawed and unjust definition of terrorism and the council that will assess such acts might further incite violence.

“The bill being unlawful and can easily tag innocent civilians as terrorists are the act of terrorism itself,” Porras added.

EILER calls for the junk of the terror bill for it also violates basic human rights. Workers’ freedom of association and the right to strike can be interpreted as violations of the bill.

“Terror ends when the government stops red-tagging civilians and people’s organizations. Terror ends when people’s rights are guaranteed and protected. Terror ends when there is just and lasting peace,” Porras ended.

NEWS RELEASE
6 June 2020
Reference: Ms. Rochelle Porras, EILER Executive Director, +63 920 127 6491

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[Statement] A call for understanding and compassion (TDC statement on the arrest of a Gensan teacher)

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“While we do not condone any violent acts or statements at this period of national emergency, we plea for understanding and human compassion for our colleague. Apparently, the old lady may be desperate, perhaps not for herself or her family but for other people in her community. What she did was a response of a person who cares for her neighbors, albeit in a manner that may be contrary to our existing laws.”
-Teachers’ Dignity Coalition (TDC)

A call for understanding and compassion
(TDC statement on the arrest of a Gensan teacher)

We are saddened by the news report that a public elementary school teacher from Gen. Santos City was arrested by the police yesterday along with her son, who is also a teacher. The arrest was made following a post in social media which according to the authorities is damaging and seditious.

The said teacher, last Friday posted this on her Facebook account, “CALLING THE ATTENTION OF THE GENERALS, MARAMING MAMAMATAY SA GUTOM IF HINDI TAYO MAGTULUNG TULONG NA IREPORT SA PANGULO NA NAPAKAINUTIL NG ATING MAYOR !!!”

After two hours, she again posted another statement that reads, “PANAWAGAN SA MGA WALA NG MAKAING GENERALS. SUGURIN NYO NA NG SABAY SABAY ANG LAGAO GYM. NAKATAMBAK DOON ANG MGA PAGKAING PARA SA INYO.”

The seemingly sarcastic posts allegedly prompted the LGU legal office to file a complaint which eventually leads to her arrest. The son, a 33-year old teacher tried to defend her mother was arrested too.

While we do not condone any violent acts or statements at this period of national emergency, we plea for understanding and human compassion for our colleagues. Apparently, the old lady may be desperate, perhaps not for herself or her family but for other people in her community. What she did was a response of a person who cares for her neighbors, albeit in a manner that may be contrary to our existing laws.

We call on the honorable mayor of General Santos City and the city police as well as the Department of Justice to be more understanding and exercise human compassion. We stand by the earlier pronouncement of Hon. Menardo Guevarra, the good secretary of justice that “During abnormal times like these, when people are prone to commit mistakes or violations of the law, the DOJ will temper the rigor of the law with human compassion.” And we believe that this applies also to an ordinary classroom teacher and not just to a sitting senator, they are both humans, after all.

May this incident also serve as a reminder to our leaders, especially to our local government units to expedite the delivery of assistance to their respective jurisdictions. An open communication system with the communities would also help so as not to develop unrest among the local population.

Lastly, we call on our colleagues in the teaching profession and in the general public to exercise prudence and sobriety amidst this crisis. # March 28, 2020
(Photo courtesy of Rappler)

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[Statement] Assert the right to defend human rights -PAHRA/ iDEFEND

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The Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates (PAHRA) and In Defense of Human Rights and Dignity Movement (iDEFEND) condemn the recent raids of people’s organizations in Negros and in Manila as well as arrests of activists, as preventive actions against people’s dissent, as government policies continue to result in economic crises, social unrest, unmitigated disasters, and political scandals.

These assaults on legitimate organizations are in pursuit of executive issuances and policy directives aimed at shrinking democratic spaces and political activism in the Philippines, in furtherance of President Duterte’s authoritarian ambitions to secure full dictatorship by his term’s end. Diminishing civic spaces, resources and opportunities suppress these organizations from freely exercising the right to assembly, association, and expression.

Specifically, memorandum Order 32 intensified operations by the PNP, AFP, and the Department of Justice, against so-called “individuals or groups conspiring to commit acts of lawless violence in the country”. It also ordered increased militarization of Samar, Negros island and Bicol region. The so-called “whole of nation approach” against the communist insurgency, Executive Order no. 70 targets opposition groups especially those working at the grassroots level. Successive policy directives from the DILG strengthen surveillance and monitoring activities against human rights defenders in the urban and rural communities who are helping victims of human rights violations access justice and address impunity.

Red-tagging and criminalization of non-government organizations undermine the important work of the civil society in raising the capacities of the people not only towards accessing legal remedies for human rights violations but also towards disaster mitigation, disease prevention, conflict management, drug rehabilitation as well as economic resiliency. As long as the government remains incapable and incompetent to deliver these needs to the communities there will always be a role for civil society and peoples’ self- organization.

PAHRA and iDEFEND urge the government to end the assault on non-government organizations and human rights defenders and revoke all executive policy issuances depriving the space for CSO actions. The government is urged to pursue a rights-based approach to governance which encourages a vibrant and dynamic civic culture and cooperation.

End the assault on human rights defenders! Defend democratic space! Reclaim Human Rights!

Read more @philippinehumanrights.org

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[Press Release] PALEA slams arrest of another member

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PALEA slams arrest of another member

The Philippine Airlines Employees’ Association (PALEA) condemned the arrest of another of its members as it planned protests at the airport area in response. PALEA member Esther Gonzaga was arrested yesterday around noon in Makati City and was granted temporary freedom by 6:30 pm after posting bail.

Gonzaga’s arrest follows the earlier apprehension of Romeo Sayas who was detained in Malvar, Batangas for several days before he was released on bail. Gerry Rivera, PALEA president and PM vice chair declared that “The harassment case of grave coercion was filed by the management of PAL against the PALEA 39 who valiantly defended the protest camp when
it was attacked by hired goons on October 29, 2011.”

Aside from the case against the PALEA 39, there are two more criminal suits pending against union members due to the labor row. Rivera called on new PAL President Ramon Ang “to facilitate the resolution of the labor dispute by dropping the trumped up charges against our
members which were filed under the old company management of Jaime Bautista.”

Gonzaga was arrested near her residence while attending a barangay meeting as she is a community leader. She is one of two women among the PALEA 39. PALEA believes that the warrants of arrest on the remaining 37 PALEA members may also be served in the coming days.

Rivera explained that as enunciated under DOJ Ministry Circular No. 15 (Series of 1982) and DOLE Order No. 40-G-03 (Series of 2010), no criminal information can be filed against workers without the required clearance from the DOLE. “Absent such clearance, the courts are mandated to dismiss the charges outright. Such a policy, started after the formal lifting of martial law, aims to resolve rather than aggravate labor disputes and regulate the proclivity of capitalists to engage in harassment suits against workers,” Rivera elaborated.

PALEA also lambasted Pasay Assistant City Prosecutor Orlando Mariano and Judge Bibiano Colasito of the Pasay MTC Branch 44 for finding probable cause and ordering the issuance of arrest warrants against 39 PALEA members. “These officers of the court not only defied labor statutes but infringed on our members right to due process, and thus deserve to face administrative charges,” Rivera insisted.

He also denounced PAL lawyer Atty. Santiago “Sonny” Quial for “legal machinations.” Quial is running for district representative in Pasay for the coming elections. “As many PALEA members are Pasay voters, we will make sure that a law breaker does not become a law maker,” Rivera claimed.

Press Release
November 8, 2012
PALEA
Contact Alnem Pretencio @ 09209543634

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