The Center for Trade Union and Human Rights (CTUHR) condemns state personnel’s surveillance, harassment, and intimidation of union leaders and members of the Cagdianao Mining Workers Union (CAMWU-NAFLU-KMU) in the CARAGA Region from 2022 to 2024. This case is evidence of continuing state harassment and abuse of workers’ labor and human rights under the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

In the past two years, four cases of state surveillance, harassment, and intimidation of union leaders and members of the CAMWU-NAFLU-KMU, a mining worker’s union organized in the Cagdianao Mining Corporation, have been reported. These instances include visits by armed personnel or state forces in the civilian gear of union leaders who were asked about union members and union activities. These are union-busting tactics aimed at pressuring union leaders to disaffiliate from the National Federation of Labor Unions – Kilusang Mayo Uno (NAFLU-KMU).

The first case of harassment and surveillance happened to Valian Toledo, CAMWU-NAFLU-KMU Secretary, on the morning of May 1, 2022, when police officers of the Philippine National Police-Cagdianao summoned Mr. Toledo and asked him about the union’s plans for the day. Mr. Toledo answered that the union would be holding a coastal cleanup, holding a pictorial, and distributing shirts and meat products to union members. The PNP officer asked about the finances of the union as well, to which Mr. Toledo responded that it goes to seminars and other union activities. At 6 pm of the same day, many armed personnel in full battle gear and riding a 6×6 vehicle showed up outside the workers’ barracks, as if to threaten them as the union holds a program inside the compound.

The second case happened to John Mark Dianos, a member of CAMWU-NAFLU-KMU, in April 2023. According to reports, two PNP officers in civilian clothing went to the workers’ barracks and approached Mr. Dianos, asking him about the activities of the union for May 1, Labor Day, of that year. Mr. Dianos answered that he and his fellow workers would conduct a coastal cleanup. After this, the officers then asked Mr. Diano if he knew where they could talk to the union leaders. They asked him to identify the union leaders, bringing out their pictures, aiming to pressure and harass Mr. Dianos.

The third case involved Gerandoy Leonel Seda, Vice President of CAMWU-NAFLU-KMU.On January 24, two uniformed PNP officers approached Mr. Seda while he was on duty and questioned if he was the vice president of the union. Once Mr. Seda responded “opo sir” (“yes sir”) to the question, the uniformed officers forced Mr. Seda to sign a blank paper that contained only his name. As Mr. Seda questioned the uniformed officers’ request, they told him “wag kang mag-aalala” (“don’t worry”). The uniformed personnel essentially forced Mr. Seda to sign the paper and took his picture at the compound gate with him holding the paper with his signature.

The last reported case is the continuous harassment of CAMWU-NAFLU-KMU Union President Mansueto Endriga Jr. From 2023 to 2024, an unidentified individual would constantly follow Mr. Endriga Jr. to his and his family’s house and the mining sites, offering financial aid, medical assistance, and livelihood assistance, which Mr. Endriga Jr. constantly declined. This year, a PNP officer introducing himself as “Mac” constantly followed Mr. Endriga Jr.” and gave money to Mr. Endriga Jr. every time they saw each other. Mr. Endriga Jr. always tried to avoid Mac. One time, however, he found himself together with Mac in a small boat. Mac gave Endriga Jr. PhP 2,000 and forced him to sign a blank paper. Mac also constantly called and texted Mr. Endriga Jr., asking him about the union and pressuring him to disaffiliate from NAFLU-KMU. Mr. Endriga’s nephew in the military who is based in Manila would call him and ask why he is on the list of Communist rebels and financiers. Mr. Endriga was shocked to find out that his name and picture were posted alongside information about the workers union’s board in that list.

All these reported cases of harassment and intimidation are in line with the expressed motive of forcing CAMWU to disaffiliate from NAFLU-KMU.

Members of genuine, militant, and nationalist workers’ unions have been constant targets of harassment by the state and company owners. They are being forced to disaffiliate from such labor groups so that they will not stand up for their labor and human rights, benefitting their employers. KMU has continuously been red-tagged by the government, which is an attack on the labor movement and workers’ rights in the
country.

The cases show how surveillance, harassment, and intimidation of labor leaders and unionists have been incentivized by the government. State personnel are rewarded for proof of having carried out these violations of labor and human rights.

These cases show the continuation of labor and human rights violations under the Marcos Jr government. Marcos Jr tries to present himself as different from his predecessor, Rodrigo Duterte, and as embracing human and labor rights, but the cases of surveillance, harassment, and intimidation faced by the mining workers of Cagdianao Mining Corporation show that all these positionings and statements are false.

CTUHR stands with the Cagdianao Mining Workers Union (CAMWU-NAFLU-KMU) in fighting for workers’ rights and better working conditions amidst the current political situation of the country. Unions are beacons of democracy and weapons of the working class!