Human rights alliance KARAPATAN condemns the arrest of Jose Puancing, a farmworker leader in Negros, based on trumped-up 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.

Puancing, 63, was arrested outside his home in Brgy. Jonob-Jonob, Escalante City, on October 7, on false charges of illegal possession of firearms and explosives. He is chairperson of Paghili-usa sang mga Obrero sa Brgy. Jonobjonob (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 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, dubbed as a “search warrant factory.” 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, as all trumped-up charges against him are baseless and fabricated.

KARAPATAN reiterates its call to the Judicial Bar Council (JBC) to disqualify Judge Villavert in her applications to the posts of Associate Justice of the Court of Appeals and Associate Justice of the Sandiganbayan.

Until now, her abuse of power of authority continues to deny freedom and violate the rights of people like Puancing. She is unfit to hold any higher position in the judiciary, being complicit to rights violations against numerous persons, as a lower court judge. Villavert should be held accountable for these rights violations, to render justice for all victims.