A day before International Human Rights Day, the Center for Trade Union and Human Rights (CTUHR) raises the alarm over the continuing harassment of labor activists in the country, despite President Ferdinand Marcos Jr’s executive order. We demand that the government investigate recent cases of harassment, hold those responsible accountable, and protect the right to freedom of association.

Last September 19, Marcos Jr signed Executive Order 97, which affirms his government’s commitment to protecting workers’ right to unionize. The order restates limits to the role of the police and the military in labor disputes, places limits to the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict or NTF-ELCAC, and bans redtagging of labor activists and organizations.

CTUHR’s statement on EO 97’s release: https://ctuhr.org/releases/marcos-order-on-union-rights-an-advance-but-workers-must-remain-vigilant/

Despite this, the harassment of labor activists, tightly related to their redtagging, has continued.

(1) In October, Sylva Attala “Ahla” Fortuno, education and research program officer of the Sugarfolks’ Unity for Genuine Agricultural Reform – Batangas (SUGAR Batangas) and secretariat member of the Alyansa ng Magsasaka para sa Kompensasyon (AMK), experienced repeated harassment from state agents.
https://ctuhr.org/releases/harassment-vs-batangas-sugarcane-workers-organizer-must-be-stopped-probed/

(2) In September, shortly before and after EO 97 was released, Tina Alomia of the Organized Labor Associations in Line Industries and Agriculture-Kilusang Mayo Uno (OLALIA-KMU), faced harassment from state agents, including the distribution of comics-style flyers in various parts of Laguna that contain fabricated stories, personal details, and malicious insinuations.
https://ctuhr.org/releases/southern-tagalog-labor-organizers-harassment-test-for-marcos-jr-order/

(3) In September and October, two unidentified men who were riding in-tandem on a motorcycle passed by KMU-Southern Mindanao Region’s office and the back rider took photos or videos or both of the office premises. This follows the harassment experienced KMU-SMR organizers Marvin Dacanay and Jeffrey Uypala in July and August, respectively.
https://ctuhr.org/releases/davao-labor-groups-harassment-should-be-stopped-probed/

(4) On December 5, Larry Argilles, leader of Transmission, the Davao chapter of progressive transport group Pagkakaisa ng mga Tsuper at Operators Nationwide (PISTON), was the subject of military personnel’s surveillance of his community in Davao City. The military personnel asked community leaders about Argilles and his family, and accused his wife of being a member of rebel group New People’s Army or NPA. https://www.facebook.com/kmusouthernmindanao/posts/pfbid02Edho7w5tXNhMseuUxp9fZ6Qbt5BKC5DPKm7u71hjdvL2Fh1biEuAx7MQ9Gseu9ycl

This is the first Human Rights Day since Marcos Jr released EO 97, his major policy on labor rights. It is appalling that despite his government’s professions of protecting workers’ rights, the harassment of labor activists continue. Marcos Jr should work overtime to end the violations of workers’ rights that were the trademark of his predecessor, which caused so much damage to labor and human rights in the country.