A MEMBER of the Makabayan bloc in the House of Representatives raised the alarm on Thursday over the alleged harassment and abduction of activists ahead of this year’s Labor Day celebration on May 1.
“The spate of attacks against activists is a cause for concern,” Party-list Representative France L. Castro said in Filipino. “These incidents show that the state of human rights under the administration of Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. has not changed.”
The lawmaker said she was alarmed at the case of a labor organizer allegedly arrested by state forces in Bukidnon in Mindanao on Wednesday.
William Lariosa faced alleged harassment from the military before his disappearance, the Kilusang Mayo Uno in Southern Mindanao Region said in a statement.
Mr. Lariosa, 63, is the 14th victim of enforced disappearance under the current administration, Ms. Castro said.
She said a political organizer of Bayan Muna, a militant party-list organization, also experienced harassment from the government earlier this week.
The National Task Force to End Local Communist Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) allegedly red-tagged Bayan Muna Regional Chairperson John Ruiz and other activists in Cebu on Monday.
The congresswoman urged the government to stop harassing activists and uphold the principles of human rights. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio
