MANILA, Philippines — The Center for Trade Union and Human Rights (CTUHR) called on President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s administration to surface veteran Mindanao labor organizer William Lariosa after being allegedly abducted by state agents on April 10.
Lariosa was last seen in Quezon, Bukidnon prior to his "enforced disappearance" — a month before the Supreme Court officially acknowledged the threat to life, liberty and security that red-tagging brings.
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"Eyewitnesses say that 63-year old Lariosa was abducted at gunpoint by elements of the Philippine Army’s 48th Infantry Battalion," according to CTUHR in a press release on Friday.
"Lariosa’s family has called on the Commission on Human Rights and other government bodies to investigate his case and release him, but the labor organizer remains missing."
CTUHR added that Lariosa's disappearance was followed by uninvited visits by "men introducing themselves as belonging to the military" into the homes of Southern Mindanao labor leaders Paul John Dizon, Carl Anthony Olalo (both of labor center Kilusang Mayo Uno or KMU, May First Movement) and Melodina Gumanoy of the Nagkahiusang Kababaye ang Mamumuo sa Davao de Oro (NKMDDO).
The group added that KMU is a legal and legitimate labor center, with a handful of federations and progressive organizations as its members. Government agencies however continually accuse it of being a "terrorist organization," even without substantial evidence.
"President Marcos Jr. in his various pronouncements always say that he upholds the rule of law, yet he has simply continued the policy of attacking the labor movement in the guise of fighting the armed insurgency. Lariosa’s abduction and enfored disappearance is a case in point," the labor rights non-government organization (NGO) added.
"The International Labour Organization’s High-Level Tripartite Mission to the Philippines in January 2023 and the various United Nation Special Rapporteurs criticized and recommended the dismantling of the [National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict]. Yet, Marcos Jr continues to allow the operation of the NTF-ELCAC."
The group encouraged Marcos to hold officials of the NTF-ELCAC accountable for the continued practice of red-tagging, while calling on him to make "strong and unequivocal statements and... decisive steps to protect labor and human rights in the country, including surfacing the forcibly disappeared and immediately stopping rights violations.."
Philstar.com had already sought the comment of the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) on the matter but has yet to issue a statement.