“Family members searching for their disappeared loved ones have to endure threats and harassment from state forces on top of the terrible uncertainty and emotional turmoil they are already going through.”

Is it a mistake for a son to demand justice and accountability?

Marklen, son of disappeared labor organizer William Lariosa, raised this question following the recent incident of harassment and surveillance he experienced. Members of his family were alarmed after two unidentified individuals were looking for his residence on the night of October 25.

He told Bulatlat that this was the first time such an event had happened since his father, a labor organizer under Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) Southern Mindanao, was abducted in Quezon, Bukidnon, on April 10, 2024.

Marklen could not think of other possible reasons, suspecting that the incident may have something to do with his continuing involvement in campaigns and mobilizations that demand the surfacing of Lariosa. “Is it a mistake for a son to search for his missing father?” he further asked.

Read: After 2 years, son laments continuing disappearance of Mindanao labor organizer

Neighbors of the Lariosa family in their hometown in Davao de Oro province were the ones who encountered the two individuals. They reportedly wore helmets and were on board a black motorcycle, introducing themselves as “collectors” when they were asked.

For Marklen, the response and presence of the two raised suspicions. Aside from the fact that they visited the community around 7 p.m., which is outside the regular working hours, Marklen said that he did not apply for any financial loan. 

After the incident, he was concerned for the safety of his family, prompting them to lodge a blotter report with the barangay. However, he stood firm that it won’t stop him from continuing his cause.

Desaparecidos, an organization of families and friends of enforced disappearance victims, denounced the incident, urging the government to put an end to this kind of harassment.

“Family members searching for their disappeared loved ones have to endure threats and harassment from state forces on top of the terrible uncertainty and emotional turmoil they are already going through,” JL Burgos, Desaparecidos chairperson, said in a statement.

Rights groups Karapatan and the Center for Trade Union and Human Rights (CTUHR) also expressed strong condemnations about what happened.

Marklen, a member of the National Board of Desaparecidos, has raised a possibility that the two individuals who recently visited their neighborhood might be connected to those who visited their house several times prior to the disappearance of his father. 

He said they were visited by individuals who allegedly introduced themselves as state agents once in 2022 and three times in 2023, accusing Lariosa of being involved in communist insurgency. There were warnings, he added, that they would get dragged into it if they would not cooperate. 

The series of visits was reportedly the primary reason why Lariosa was forced to take refuge in Bukidnon. Marklen affirmed that his father, who remains missing, had been a labor organizer. 

On July 8, the Supreme Court required certain commanders and elements of Philippine Army units to comment on the petition for review on certiorari filed by the family.

Read: Military ordered to reply to missing Mindanao labor organizer’s case

Since 2024, KMU Southern Mindanao has documented 57 cases of human rights violations against its members and organizers.

The labor group released a statement on October 24, presenting the faces of some individuals, including former high-ranking New People’s Army (NPA) member Roberto Rosete Jr., who allegedly harassed KMU’s leaders and members.

Read: Groups decry surveillance of KMU office in Southern Mindanao

Marklen called for an end to any form of harassment and intimidation against families of the disappeared, pointing out that achieving justice is their only goal. (RVO)