Red-tagged peasant, labor leaders arrested in separate raids
MANILA, Philippines — (Updated 11:21 a.m.) Peasant and labor organizations reported Tuesday that two of their leaders who have been previously red-tagged, or accused of being members of the communist rebellion, have been arrested in separate operations.
Police arrested Florentino Viuya, Kilusang Mayo Uno vice chairperson for Central Luzon and national council member, and Joseph Canlas, Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas vice chairperson, in separate raids Tuesday morning, the two groups said.
KMU said Canlas was arrested by virtue of a “fake warrant of arrest” in Barangay Anupul, Bamban, Tarlac, while KMP said Canlas was arrested at a peasant community in Sapang Maisac, Mexico Pampanga.
It is not yet clear what charges they were arrested for, but a staffer of Alyansa ng Magbubukid sa Gitnang Luzon, which Canlas also leads, told CLTV 36 that police served an arrest warrant for trespassing.
The staffer, who introduced herself as Joyce, also told the local news outlet that operatives of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group also searched their residence and found a .45-caliber pistol.
"Nagtanim pa," she said. "Ang alam lang po nun mag-mass lead talaga, magsalita para sa karapatan ng magsasaka at tulungan yung magsasakang lumalapit para sa mga kaso nila sa lupa."
(They planted it ... He (Canlas) only knows how to lead a protest, speak about the rights of farmers and help those approaching us about their land cases.)
READ: Firearms and explosives raps easy way to lock activists up, NUPL says
She also denied that their organization is affiliated with the communist armed group New People's Army.
"NPA ka na po ba agad kapag nagtatanggol ka sa karapatan sa lupa ng magsasaka? Kung tumutulong ka doon sa mga magsasakang pinapalayas sa kanilang lupaing sinasaka? Siguro po walang basehan na paratang ng administrasyon," Joyce said.
(Are you a member of the NPA if you defend the rights of farmers to their land? If you help farmers who are being told to leave the land they till? I think the administration's allegations have no basis.)
KMU chairman Elmer Labog said in a statement that the attacks on their leaders are "worsening by the minute." "This is marial law, an outright degradation of the rule of law."
Both KMU and KMP reported that the two have been subjected to red-tagging by the government’s anti-communist task force, which branded them as recruiters of the communist rebellion.
“The Duterte regime knows nothing but to repress the people,” KMP national chairperson Danilo Ramos said.
The arrests of Viuya and Canlas came just two days after the killing of labor leader Dandy Miguel in Canlubang, Calamba, Laguna hours before the Greater Manila Area reverted to enhanced community quarantine. — Xave Gregorio
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