Two elderly women activists were arrested by authorities in Iloilo province on Maundy Thursday, a move human rights group said was designed to prevent immediate remedies for the detainees.
Migrant rights advocate Josephine Parra Porquia, 64, and women’s rights activist Ma. Luisa Tagamolila Guillen, 62, are being held at the Pavia Municipal Police Station, Panay Alliance Karapatan said in an alert.
Karapatan condemned the arrests, saying it was “cruelly calculated” when the courts are on holiday because of the Holy Week.
The move effectively ensures illegal detention, Karapatan secretary general Cristina Palabay said, “(exposing) how the legal system is being manipulated to punish those who serve the people.”
“While many observe Holy Week as a time for reflection, State agents take no pause in violating human rights,” Palabay added.
Porquia is a known veteran activist and migrant rights advocate who has long worked with communities and overseas Filipino workers.
She is the widow of Jose Reynaldo “Jory” Porquia, a community leader and Iloilo City coordinator of partylist Bayan Muna, who was killed by State forces in April 2020 at the height of the pandemic.
The Porquias had long been red-tagging and harassment victims because of their activism.
Guillen herself had dedicated decades to advancing women’s rights and advocating for accessible social services.
Her family has likewise been subjected to sustained attacks, including the near-fatal stabbing of her son, human rights lawyer Atty. Angelo Karlo Guillen, in 2021.
“Josephine and Ma. Luisa are not, and never will be, criminals. They are development workers who have devoted their lives to uplifting marginalized communities. They lead their families and communities in demanding accountability from the State, after what happened to their loved ones,” Palabay emphasized.
Karapatan stressed the arrests again reveal Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s continuation of Rodrigo Duterte’s policy of targeting activists through trumped-up charges, questionable police operations, and blatant disregard for due process.
“This injustice reflects the same betrayal and persecution symbolized during the Lenten season, with the government persecuting the people at the same time that they are reeling from the current crisis,” the group said. # (Raymund B. Villanueva)
