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You Are Here:Home → 2021 → May → 28 → Rights defenders decry courts’ junking of motions filed by detained labor organizers
Rights defenders decry courts’ junking of motions filed by detained labor organizers
Relatives and friends of the seven human rights defenders arrested on Dec. 10 call for the immediate release of their loved ones in a press conference, Dec. 14 at the Commission on Human Rights. (Photo by Ronalyn V. Olea /Bulatlat)“It is absurd that the Mandaluyong court saw the inconsistencies and defects of the narratives and evidence provided by the police in arresting Esparago and Salem but the same set of facts were ignored by QC and Manila courts.”
Published March 6, 2021, 12:52 PM
An advocacy group has urged the regional trial courts (RTCs) in Manila and Quezon City to dismiss the charges and order the release of five other persons who were arrested last Dec. 10 and charged with illegal possession of firearms and explosives.
In a statement, Kapatid – a support group of families and friends of political prisoners – aired the call after the Mandaluyong City RTC last Friday, March 5, affirmed its decision that dismissed the charges against journalist Lady Ann D. Salem and trade unionist Rodrigo S. Esparago and ordered their release.
It said Romina Astudillo, Mark Ryan Cruz, Joel Demate, Jayme Gregorio and Dennise Velasco were arrested and charged like Salem and Esparago.
(FACEBOOK/MANILA BULLETIN)
Karapatan sent an “urgent appeal” to its allies, communities, and fellow human rights advocates, seeking their action against the massive crackdown on activists.
The group asked for their support and solidarity in calling for the immediate release of peasant organizer Amanda Echanis and her baby, including a journalist and trade unionists arrested in December.
They are Manila Today editor Lady Ann Salem, and labor organizers Dennise Velasco, Joel Demate, Rodrigo Esparago, Mark Ryan Cruz, Romina Astudillo, and Jaymie Gregorio, collectively known as Human Rights Day 7.
“The imprisonment of Echanis and the HRD 7 reveals the Duterte administration’s glaring practice of persecuting individuals who speak against government’s abuses and injustices,” Karapatan said.
Wednesday, 13 January 2021, 6:12 am
The new year 2021 in the Philippines heralds more
targeted state political killings, massacres, continuous
police killings of the poor, and a threat of mass arrests of
leaders and members of red-tagged
organisations.
“Donald Trump, with his blatant
assault on the US Congress on January 6, 2021, has
demonstrated what happens when impunity is the rule of the
day. The international community must act against impunity
of state actors in the Philippines to stop a greater tragedy
unfolding in this nation which once fired the global
imagination with the “people power” removal of the
Dictator Marcos in 1986,” said Mr Peter Murphy, Chair of
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You Are Here:Home → 2020 → December → 24 → Kin, colleagues slam move to keep 4 union organizers in jail
Kin, colleagues slam move to keep 4 union organizers in jail
“
Parang binuhusan ako ng malamig na tubig. (My enthusiasm was immediately put off) If you could just imagine the mental anguish that we feel because all along we thought we will be with him this Christmas.”
By ANNE MARXZE D. UMIL
MANILA – Four union organizers could have spent their Christmas with their families if not for what their lawyers called as “maneuvers” by the police to prevent their supposed release on Dec. 23.
Katherine Panguban of the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL) said that a release order was already issued by Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 220 for Dennise Velasco, Mark Ryan Cruz, Romina Astudillo and Jaymie Gregorio, Jr., four of what now is collectively called as HRDay7. While they were processing their release, however, an amend