Agricultural Workers Condemn Terrorist Listing of its Officer and Members

The Unyon ng mga Manggagawa sa Agrikultura (UMA) and National Federation of Sugar Workers (NFSW) condemn the terrorist listing by the Duterte regime on 600 persons including five members of Kaisahan-Batangas, among which is an officer of the NFSW. Kaisahan is a member of UMA.

Their inclusion in the list is reprehensible, considering that the local prosecutor had earlier dropped the case filed against them for lack of evidence.

These 5 are part of the so-called Nasugbu 10, a quick reaction team (QRT) to investigate human rights violations in Utod village, Nasugbu, Batangas as a result of an earlier encounter between the military and the New Peoples’ Army (NPA).

They never made it to Utod, as nine of them were arrested on Nov. 20, by the Philippine National Police and soldiers of the 730th Combat Group of the Philippine Air Force (PAF) who branded them as NPA members.

The members of Kaisahan ng mga Manggagawang-bukid sa Batangas (Kaisahan) are Marilyn Hernandez, Carlos Sanosa, Joey Castillano, Roberto Hernandez, and Leonardo delos Reyes Jr. Four others are members of HABAGAT, and one their driver. Marilyn is also the treasurer of NFSW.

This terrorist listing is a desperate attempt by the Duterte regime to crack down on its critics, including that of Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno, the latter through impeachment.

According to John “Butch” Milton Lozande, secretary general both of UMA and NFSW they are not intimidated by this terror listing of the Duterte government.

He added “NFSW was not cowed when martial law was declared a year after its formation in 1971. We only had members in Negros Island then. Today we are once again national in nature with the rest of the Filipino people who are resolute in resisting further oppression and state repression.”

Unyon ng mga Manggagawa sa Agrikultura

Federation of Agricultural Workers | Philippines