State forces illegally arrested peasant and labor leaders in Central Luzon on Tuesday in what many considered as part of the Duterte administration’s continued crackdown on progressive organizations.
Joseph Canlas and Florentino Viuya were nabbed in separate but almost simultaneous raids in Pampanga and Tarlac, respectively, according to reports from Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) and Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU). Charges filed against the two remain unclear as of press time.
Canlas was taken from the office of the Alyansa ng Magbubukid sa Gitnang Luzon (AMGL) in Sapang Maisac, Mexico, Pampanga. Viuya, meanwhile, was arrested in a private residence in Bamban, Tarlac and brought to Camp Olivas in San Fernando, Pampanga.
Both Canlas and Viuya have been previously tagged by the government’s anti-communist task force as recruiters of the New People’s Army without sufficient basis.
Canlas concurrently acts as the vice-chairperson of KMP and chairperson of AMGL. He has actively criticized the Agriculture department’s fertilizer fund scam amid the ongoing pandemic.
Viuya, on the other hand, serves as KMU National Council member and vice-chairperson for Central Luzon and leads Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN) Central Luzon and the Workers Alliance of Region III. He has actively voiced his criticisms against the government’s COVID-19 response and draconian policies such as the Anti-Terror Law.
Groups believe the arrests were politically motivated given the series of attacks that progressive individuals have faced over the recent weeks. Just last Sunday, labor rights activist Dandy Miguel was brutally killed in Laguna. Both instances came weeks after the “Bloody Sunday” massacre that killed nine progressive leaders in the Southern Tagalog region.
"The attacks on our leaders are worsening by the minute. This is Martial Law, an outright degradation of the rule of law. The NTF-ELCAC, as a civil-military junta, is Duterte's tool to perpetuate his fascist rule for as long as he wants," said KMU Chairperson Elmer Labog.
“Yung atake sa mga unyon namin na may makabuluhang panalo sa sahod, trabaho at karapatan ay patunay kung gaano ka kontra-manggagawa ang rehimen na ito! Puro kasamaan hanggang nananatili sila sa pwesto!”
Both KMP and KMU urged Filipinos to condemn the illegal arrest of their leaders which forms part of the government’s larger campaign to vilify progressive groups. Rather than targeting critics, the groups called on the Duterte administration to listen to their concerns and provide what the people need in the midst of a crisis.
“The Duterte regime knows nothing but to repress the people. Farmers have been demanding aid and production subsidy as the pandemic and economic crisis rages, yet it has repeatedly attacked legitimate peasant leaders and organizations. Si Duterte mismo ang kalbaryo sa magbubukid!” KMP National Chairperson Danilo Ramos said.
This article was first published online on March 30, 2021.
