Suspected military agents abducted 63-year-old veteran labor organizer William Lariosa yesterday in Butong village, Quezon town in Bukidnon, the labor group Kilusang Mayo Uno in Southern Mindanao Region (KMU-SMR) reported. Lariosa’s family remains unaware of his whereabouts.
Elements of the 48th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army were allegedly behind the abduction of Lariosa, according to KMU-SMR. Particular details are still being investigated further by Karapatan-SMR and BAYAN-SMR, KMU-SMR told the Collegian.
As a staunch organizer of KMU-SMR, Lariosa and his family had long received threats and harassment from state forces. This drove them to seek sanctuary in Bukidnon, according to a statement by KMU released yesterday.
“As #MayoUno2024 draws near, we have seen intensifying attacks by the Marcos Jr. administration against labor organizers and trade unions. Currently, a heavy military presence can be seen in Brgy. Butong,” KMU-SMR said in a statement.
Lariosa is the 24th person to fall victim to enforced disappearances in the country under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s administration. He is the second victim in Bukidnon after National Democratic Front of the Philippines consultant Ariel Badiang was also abducted by suspected Armed Forces of the Philippines members on February 6, 2023.
Previous harassment of Lariosa’s family follows a repressive pattern perpetrated by the state, with 1,632,463 cases of harassment or intimidation under Marcos from July 2022 to December 2023, according to Karapatan’s 2023 year-end report.
As the commemoration of Labor Day on May 1 draws near, KMU demands that Lariosa be surfaced and the government be held accountable.
“Sama-sama nating patindihin ang paglaban para sa karapatan sa pag-uunyon at karapatang pantao patungo sa #MayoUno2024 at magsama-samang panagutin ang administrasyong US-Marcos Jr. sa paglabag nito sa mga batayang karapatan ng mamamayan!” read the statement by KMU. ●
