Four mass leaders leaders and activists who have been red-tagged were arrested in Central Luzon (CL), and another in Cagayan Valley, and were slapped with trumped-up charges during the Holy Week. Three were arrested in CL on March 30.

Joseph Canlas, chairperson of the Alyansa ng mga Magbubukid sa Gitnang Luzon, was arrested in Mexico, Pampanga. He spearheaded the farmers’ campaigns against landgrabbing and land-use conversion in the region.

Florente Viuya Sr., labor leader and chairperson of Bayan-CL, was arrested in sa Bamban, Tarlac. He was arrested along with May Arcilla, paralegal of Karapatan-CL.

In Bulacan, the police arrested Concepcion Opalla on on March 26. She was the a former leader of Kadamay and among those who led the occumpation of idle housing units in Pandi in 2017. It took two days before she was surfaced by the arresting officers.

In Southern Tagalog, state forces arrested Genelyn Dichoso, official of Karapatan, and her daughter Jennifer in Calauag, Quezon last April 5. On March 30, the police raided the headquarters of the Alyansa ng Manggagawa sa Engklabo in Santa Rosa, Laguna and planted evidences of firearms and explosives.

In Manalo, Amuling, Cagayan, state forces arrested Calixto Cabildo, chairperson of Anakpawis-Cagayan, last March 26.

Meanwhile in Sorsogon, political detainee Elizabeth Estilon was unjustly separated from her infant Prince Joel on March 27.