Progressive groups Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan), Courage, Kilusang Mayo Uno and Karapatan marched to Mendiola today to demand the release of Randy Vegas, Raul Camposano, Rene Abiva and Virgilio Corpuz and the immediate dropping of trumped up charges against labor leaders and organizers Roy Velez and Amelita Gamara.

Protesters also denounced the intensified attacks against activists under Oplan Bayanihan, the governments anti-insurgency campaign. 28 persons were successively arrested and detained in less than one month since December last year.

Nikki Gamara, daughter of Amelita Gamara and political prisoner Renante Gamara, decried the government’s tagging of her parents as criminals while real criminals like Gen. Jovito Palparan are not brought to justice. She said the real criminal is the Aquino government that is killing people with policies like Oplan Bayanihan.

Text and photos by POM CAHILOG-VILLANUEVA

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