Kilusang Mayo Uno strongly condemns the arrest of two trade union leaders in Southern Tagalog – Gavino Panganiban, Director for Campaigns of KMU’s regional formation in Southern Tagalog (PAMANTIK-KMU) and Maritess David, organizer under the federation OLALIA-KMU yesterday, October 27.
Trumped-up charges of murder and attempted murder were filed against Panganiban, while trumped-up violations of the Comprehensive Law on Firearms and Ammunition was filed against David. The trumped-up case against David stems from a raid on the former office of the Alyansa ng mga Manggagawa sa Engklabo in 2021 where the police and military planted a huge amount of guns and explosives before executing their search warrant.
Before being arrested by the police, Panganiban and David closely monitored the condition of the workers in South Tagalog to organize relief operations due to the rampage of Typhoon Kristine last week.
The arrest of David and Panganiban is part of the ongoing attack on workers and all Filipino citizens who aspire for a decent life. Solely fighting for living wages, regular jobs, and the right to unionize and organize, David and Panganiban were painted as armed terrorists, like many other workers, unionists, activists, and organizers.
David and Panganiban must be released immediately. While they remain incarcerated, their right to legal counsel and medical needs must be ensured.
Kilusang Mayo Uno urges all workers and citizens to unite in calling for their immediate release. We enjoin all Filipino people to continue to strengthen the fight against state terrorism which deprives citizens of a life with dignity. The fight for workers’ rights and the well-being of the Filipino people will always be justified.