Philippines: Police nabs labor activist for alleged possession of firearm, bomb components
Event- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Jun 3, 2018
- Event Description
A labor leader was arrested by after authorities allegedly found an illegal firearm and bomb components in his possession, police said Sunday. Juan Alexander Reyes, leader of the Sandigang Manggagawa sa Quezon City, is now in the custody of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group in Metro Manila. Authorities said they used a search warrant for a murder case against Reyes in Agusan del Sur. Operatives then found a firearm and bomb components in his possession. But activist Cristina Palabay, secretary-general of the group Karapatan, said the firearms supposedly found in Reyes's possession was just planted. "Basta na lang (out of nowhere), magically, a warrant of arrest comes out and magically again, some persons, especially activists are being charged especially with illegal possession of firearms and explosive," added Palabay, who said she knew Reyes since their student movement days. She said they have information that Reyes was arrested yesterday while he was on his way to a meeting with his group members. "May isa siyang kasama. Dalawa silang kinuha tapos nilagay sa isang van. Tapos a few minutes, pinalabas 'yung isa niyang kasama," she claimed. (There was one person with him. Two of the were taken and put in a van. Then, after a few minutes, they forced the person he was with to come out)
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Abduction/Kidnapping
- Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Right to fair trial
- Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Labour rights defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Government
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Event Location
Latitude: 12.879721
Longitude: 121.774017
- Event Location
- Summary for Publications
On 3 June 2018, Juan Alexander Reyes, labour activitst and leader of the Sandigang Manggagawa, was arrested by after authorities under trupmed up charges that state he was found with an illegal firearm and bomb components in his possession.