Union leaders and members of the Confederation of Unity of Recognition and Advancement for Government Employees (COURAGE) and social workers from the Salinlahi Alliance for Children’s Concerns and Children’s Rehabilitation Center (CRC) today filed complaints at the Commission on Human Rights on the harassment and surveillance they experienced from military and police agents in Metro Manila.
Union leaders and members of the Confederation of Unity of Recognition and Advancement for Government Employees (COURAGE) and social workers from the Salinlahi Alliance for Children’s Concerns and Children’s Rehabilitation Center (CRC) today filed complaints at the Commission on Human Rights on the harassment and surveillance they experienced from military and police agents in Metro Manila.
Ferdie Gaite, chairperson of COURAGE, said “this pattern indicates a worsening trend of political repression against union organizers and political activists and attempts to disrupt the organizations’ activities and terrorize people involved in development and human rights work.” After the arrest in 2012 of COURAGE organizers Raul Camposano and Randy Vegas based on trumped-up charges, the Aquino administration and his military and police continue to violate the workers’ rights to unionize and organize, he added.
A few day before the Labor day commemoration, on April 27, at least five members and officers of Confederation of Unity of Recognition and Advancement for Government Employees (COURAGE) received letters listing down their involvement with the union and alleging that they were linked to the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA).
Those who received letters were: Roman M. Sanchez, National Food Authority (NFA) employee and National Food Authority Employees Association (NFAEA) National President, Evelyn P. Garcia, NFA employee and national assistant secretary general of NFAEA, Fely Saño, NHA employee and CUE-NHA 2nd Vice President, Rosalinda Nartates, CUE-NHA National President and COURAGE Secretary General, and Manuel Baclagon SWEAP-DSWD (Social Welfare Employees Association–Department of Social Welfare and Development) National President and former COURAGE Deputy Secretary General.
Prior to this, on April 21, a certain Sgt. Borres who introduced himself as liaison officer of the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP) entered the NFA premises looking for Hilario M. Tan, retired NFA employee and former vice president of the NFAEA and Ms. Evelyn P. Garcia. He was stopped by the lobby guard and brought to the Security Service office of the NFA for questioning because he was carrying a .45 calibre pistol. The security personnel asked Borres for a mission order but he could not produce one, so he left.
On May 14 to 16, 2015, staff members of Salinlahi and the Children’s Rehabilitation Center were being hounded in their offices and tailed by suspected agents of the military and police. Registered social workersMadella Santiago and EilekrenesManano of Salinlahi Alliance for Children’s Concerns and Children’s Rehabilitation Center (CRC) were tailed.
“This is a clear act of harassment and reprisal on our active opposition to government policies and programs that are not beneficial for Filipino children and their families. CRC has been documenting cases and providing services to children victims of human rights violations perpetrated by the Armed Forces of the Philippines and its paramilitary groups for almost three decades now. Salinlahi, as the lead convener of the Save our Schools Network has been very vocal in opposing the increasing cases of military attacks and encampment on schools particularly in peasant and indigenous peoples’ communities,” opined KharloManano, secretary general of Salinlahi.
Karapatan Secretary General Cristina Palabay said “the trend of harassment and surveillance of members and officers of unions and progressive people’s organizations puts their lives and work at increasing risk.” Karapatan said such forms of rights violations are due to the BS Aquino’s counter-insurgency program OplanBayanihan.” This policy and practice should stop,” she added.
Karapatan documented 125, 061 victims of threats and harassment under the Aquino administration, most of the victims are based in the rural areas. The members and supporters of the organizations also held a picket protest at the CHR to support the complaints filed by the union leaders and social workers. ###