By Karapatan Quezon October 17, 2020 LUCENA CITY - Despite the restrictions brought by the COVID-19 pandemic, State agents in Quezon continu...
October 17, 2020
LUCENA CITY - Despite the restrictions brought by the COVID-19 pandemic, State agents in Quezon continue to wage attacks against progressive individuals and organizations in the locale.
On June 1, two members of the 2nd Infantry Division in Calauag filed trumped-up charges against Karapatan Quezon Secretary-General Genelyn Dichoso along with other human rights workers.
Not long after this incident, Karapatan-Quezon faced another attack on September 18 when a contingent of 9 human rights workers on a humanitarian aid mission was detained by officers of PNP San Narciso.
After this came a consistent barrage of harassment against individual members of progressive youth organizations.
Officers from the Southern Luzon Command Center (SOLCOM) visited Anakbayan Quezon coordinator Romeo Jara in his house on September 19 and gave threats that he will be charged under the Anti-Terrorism Act should he be seen in future mobilizations.
Likewise, soldiers went to the house of former Bahaghari-Quezon member Mena-seh on September 26 and told his family wild accusations that he was an NPA recruiter using photographs of his participation in social gatherings like Warla, a local celebration of Pride in 2019.
Noteworthily, unidentified men were reported to have visited the residence of a volunteer of alternative media outfit Quezon Reels, but their motives remain unclear since the person was not in the area at that time.
“All of these attacks are happening under the supervision of Gen. Parlade of SOLCOM; it is he and his institution that are solely responsible for the crackdown on citizens not only of Quezon but the entire Southern Tagalog region as well.” says Genelyn Dichoso, Karapatan Quezon, Secretary General
Karapatan Quezon, together with the many progressive youth organizations here in the province, condemned these acts of repression.
“We condemn these acts of red-tagging and intimidation attacks from military and police forces and intel units toward activist groups and individuals in Quezon. These are outright violations of our constitutional rights. We will remember these and we will seek accountability for these violations. This culture of impunity must be stopped and despite the crackdown brought by SOLCOM, we will still be there to watch this fascist regime crumble to the ground,” said Neal Roxas, Queer Quezon Chairperson.
“Now more than ever, there is a great need for activists to hold the government accountable for its continued violation of human rights, not to mention its lax response to the COVID-19 pandemic that has entrenched the people in a deep health and economic crisis.” Dichoso added.
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