BACOLOD City – Human rights alliance KARAPATAN condemned the arrest of a farmworker leader in Negros Occidental, based on charges which stemmed from the search warrants issued by Quezon City Judge Cecilyn Burgos-Villavert, and resulted in the arrests of activists in Negros Island and Metro Manila in October to November 2019.
Jose Puancing, 63, was arrested outside his home in Barangay Jonob-Jonob, Escalante City, Negros Occidental on October 7, 2024 on charges of illegal possession of firearms and explosives.
He is chairperson of Paghili-usa sang mga Obrero sa Barangay Jonob-Jonob (POBJ), an organization of farmworkers in Escalante City.
Elements of the Philippine National Police (PNP), who were part of the raids on October 31 and November 1, 2019, claimed and testified in court that guns, ammunition and explosives were found in Puancing’s home. However, he was not at home at the time of the said raids.
At least 57 activists were arrested during the 2019 raids in the offices of organizations BAYAN, GABRIELA, National Federation of Sugar Workers (NFSW) in Bacolod City and NFSW in Escalante City, and houses of activists, including Puancing’s, through a joint operation by the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the 79th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army (IBPA), implementing the search warrants issued by Villavert’s court.
Most of the activists arrested then were released due to lack of evidence and inconsistencies in the State forces’ accounts.
KARAPATAN demands that Puancing should be immediately released, and all the charges against him – which the rights group claims are baseless and fabricated – dropped./PN
