26/04/2021
This coming International Labor Day on May 1, 2021, Defend Jobs Philippines strongly reiterates our demand for the government of President Rodrigo Duterte to immediately release our trade union organizer, Dennise Velasco, along with other trade unionists detained under fabricated search and arrest warrants and fake evidences.
Velaso is part of the “Human Rights Day 7,” who were arrested on December 10, 2020 including Mark Ryan Cruz, Romina Astudillo, Jaymie Gregorio, Jr, Joel Demate and released labor organizer, Rodrigo Esparago and journalist, Lady Ann Salem.
Velasco and all other detained unionists and activists must be sent out of jail as their labor and human rights works were not criminal nor terrorist acts. Serving the Filipino workers and people must not be criminalized and those working for better and fair working conditions of the labor sector must not be prosecuted and arrested.
We call on the Duterte government to take its hands-off our Filipino trade unionists and activists. The State must also stop its scheme of filing trumped-up charges, planting of evidences, illegal arrests and detention.