LABOR group Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) has condemned the arrest on Monday of one of its members and a transport group leader over alleged direct assault charges.
In a statement posted on its social media accounts, KMU said its international officer, Kara Taggoaoa, and PASODA-PISTON President Larry Valbuena were arrested by police officers after an arraignment they attended at a Quezon City trial court for a separate robbery case against them.
“This is yet another attack on human rights defenders under the current government,” KMU said in Filipino.
The cases stemmed from an incident during a rally in front of the Commission on Human Rights in 2020, where a police officer claimed they were assaulted by the two.
The bail for their release was set at P36,000 each, according to a copy of the arrest warrant posted on KMU’s Facebook page.
“We condemn the weaponization of the law to silence critics of the government,” the labor group added.
In a separate statement, ACT-Teachers Rep. France L. Castro called on authorities to stop harassing human rights workers in the country.
“Taggaoa and Valbuena are leaders and organizers of workers and jeepney drivers and operators calling for just and decent wages, junking of excise taxes on oil, adequate social services and aid for the poor, and rights defenders of workers,” she said. “They are not criminals.”
Human rights group Karapatan also denounced the arrests saying the right to organize and conduct rallies is protected under the law.
“Exercising the people’s right to conduct assemblies and rallies and to express their opinions freely without threats, even during a public health emergency, are fundamental rights, which should not be criminalized in whatever way by authorities,” it said. — John Victor D. Ordoñez