A labor rights NGO said that the jeepney drivers’ transport strike and their supporters’ protests in Metro Manila last Thursday were marred by police harassment and surveillance, as well as other breaches of the right to freedom of assembly and expression.

The Center for Trade Union and Human Rights (CTUHR) said that in most protest centers, the police deployed intelligence agents in plainclothes and either openly or secretly took pictures or videos or both of the protesters, in an attempt to harass or surveil the protest participants.

“The behavior of the police and the government towards jeepney drivers and their supporters, mostly poor Filipinos, yesterday was disturbing. Instead of allowing the protests, which were made legitimate by the soaring prices of petroleum products and their negative effects, the police attempted to silence them,” said Kamz Deligente, CTUHR executive director.

The labor NGO said protest centers in the following and other areas experienced harassment and surveillance: Bonifacio Monument in Pasig City, Novaliches, Monumento, Anonas, Philcoa, Project 2 and 3, Litex, Welcome Rotonda, Marikina, Cubao, Pedro Gil, Philcoa, and Vito Cruz.

CTUHR also claimed that the worst actions of the police were the following: demanding a protest permit (Parañaque, Alabang, Welcome Rotonda), threatening to file charges against protest leaders (Parañaque), infiltrating the ranks of the protesters to identify protest participants (Monumento, Welcome Rotonda), threatening to disperse protests (Philcoa, Cubao), and demanding that the protesters end their program (Cainta).

“The soaring prices of petroleum products is a legitimate and pressing grievance that won’t go away, so the protests won’t go away either. Instead of trying to silence the protests, the government should let them take their course and address the issues that they are raising,” Deligente added.

News reports say that industry insiders are warning of a P14 to P14.50 increase in the per liter price of diesel, and a P7 to P7.50 increase in the per liter price of gasoline next week, as attacks between the US-Israel camp and Iran continue. Both Congress and Senate have approved emergency powers for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr to reduce the excise tax on fuel.

“The oil shock is real and is threatening to explode into a full-blown economic crisis. The Marcos Jr government will be forced to act, either on its own or by protests or the actions of other sectors of society. It should listen to protestors so its action will favor Filipinos’ labor and human rights,” Deligente added.