MANILA – Progressive groups trooped in front of the Philippine National Police headquarters on Monday, Nov. 4 to denounce the mass arrest of legal activists in Bacolod City, Escalante and Manila last week.
Amid the crackdown against the legal activists, the progressives vow stronger resistance against the attacks on legal activists who were “merely exercise their constitutional right to organize, express and seek redress for their grievances.”
They lambast the weaponization of search warrant which has led to the simultaneous arrests of the 57 activists. They demand for the immediate release and hold accountable those who are responsible for their arrests.
According to the police who conducted the search, several firearms were seized to the offices of the organizations.
Progressives decried planting of evidence as the offices that were conducted search by the police were legal offices of people’s organizations.
“In a tell-tale sign of evidence planting, the arrested persons were told to leave the offices first prior to the search. When they were finally allowed to come in, viola, various firearms were already scattered all over the place, enough to fill an armory,” said Teddy Casiño, Bagong Alyansang Makabayan spokesperson.
Those who were arrested were 21 union members of the Ceres Bus labor union who are holding a meeting at the office of the Kilusang Mayo Uno, 25 members of theater groups Teatro Obrero who were practicing for a performance of their play “Papa Isio” and leaders and members of Bayan Muna, Gabriela, National Federation of Sugar Workers and Anakbayan who were in their offices and homes when the raid was conducted.
Based on the recent update on the case an inquest was already conducted and 42 out of the 57 were already charged of illegal possession of firearms and explosives while six were charged of human trafficking.
Text by Anne Marxze D. Umil
Photos by Carlo Manalansan
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