Stop the Attacks on Labor Union Activists! Drop the Trumped-Up Charges Against Kara Taggaoa and Larry Valbuena!

Oct. 10, 2022- The International League of Peoples’ Struggle – Philippines (ILPS Philippines) strongly condemns the indiscriminate arrest of Kilusang Mayo Uno -KMU, (May Day Movement) International Officer and ILPS Workers Commission 5 member Kara Taggaoa and PASADA-PISTON President Larry Valbuena this morning right after the Quezon City Regional Trial Court’s arraignment of a previous trumped-up charge of robbery filed against them.

Without the benefit of due process and without preliminary investigation, the Quezon City Police District (QCPD) held a warrantless arrest on Taggaoa and Valbuena as they were apprehended before their warrants were presented only at Camp Caringal where they were detained for another trumped-up chargeS of direct assault.

Kara Taggaoa is a labor rights organizer and was very active in fighting for the demands of workers’ organizations who were gravely affected by the pandemic crisis since 2020. Larry Valbuena fought against the jeepney phaseout and against the oil price hikes.

The police personnel’s justification of their arrests along with other human rights defenders, is a blatant manifestation ofweaponizing the law to silence and repress those who criticize the government’s failed pandemic response, corruption, and trade union and human rights violations.

From the previous Duterte administration’s brute force of governance, to the current Marcos Jr. administration, the vicious campaign of arrests and attacks against activists have continued. The intensifying attacks against labor activists instead of addressing the workers’ socio-economic demands such as sufficient social aid, regularized decent wages, junking of casual mode of employment, and humane labor conditions stand in contrast to Marcos Jr. ‘s claim that his first 100 days in office was a “success”. If anything, he has only been successful in becoming a junketeer and a party animal while the country is suffering from economic crisis and calamities.

ILPS Philippines calls on the international community to strengthen solidarity and support for Kara Taggaoa, Larry Valbuena, and the rest of the Filipino human rights defenders who are currently being repressed by the MarcoS Jr. administration. For the time being, each of the two arrested trade unionists need to raise a bail of P36,000 for the charge of direct assault and P100,000 for the charge of robbery. As we consolidate our collective efforts to raise funds for the bail, we amplify our call to drop all the trumped-up charges filed against Kara Taggaoa and Larry Valbuena.

You may send your donations to the following:

BDO

Acct. Name: Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU)

Acct. Number: 001490187039

GCash

Joanne Cesario

09612067348

Note/Message: For Kara and Larry

Stop the attacks on labor union activists!

Condemn the arrests and trumped-up charges!

Drop the trumped-up charges against Kara Taggaoa and Larry Valbuena!