Workers and their relatives relaunched the Free Our Unionists Network on February 20 to call for the immediate release of workers who were charged with fabricated cases and imprisoned in various parts of the country. The network was first formed in 2018 after the Duterte regime successively arrested, harassed, and detained workers.

According to the network, 25 out of 755 political detainees in the country are unionists and workers’ organizers. Twenty of them are men and five are women.

Before the launch, the detainees’ relatives and supporters went to the Department of Justice in Manila to call for the dismissal of fabricated cases against imprisoned unionists, as well as the release of all political prisoners.

The network includes the families of Ireneo Atadero, Bob Reyes, and Maojo Maga. Bayan Muna Partylist nominee Lean Porquia and Church Workers Solidarity-NCR’s Rose Dalagan also joined the gathering to give support.

“Unionizing and advancing the rights of workers and employees is not a crime,” according to Cha Campos of the Center for Trade Union and Human Rights (CTUHR). “Unionizing and advancing workers’ rights are important in any democratic society.”

“The suppression of unionists and activists in the labor movement is part of the suppression of the rights of all citizens to better working conditions and other rights,” she said