URGENT ALERT! KMB AND ABACA FARMERS GROUP LEADER IS UNDER CONTINUES HARASSMENT

Ernesto Nazareno or Tay Erning, 72 years old, is under continues surveillance and harassment causing tremendous fear and trauma to him and the members of his organizations. He is living alone in his house in Barangay Codon, San Andres, Catanduanes. A PNP detachment with 20 personnel is situated in this barangay.

Tay Erning is a regional council member of KMB or Kilusang Magbubukid ng Bikol, a local people’s organization working for the advancement of peasants’ rights and welfare and is affiliated with the nation-wide organization KMP or Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas. He is also the leader of Abaca farmers group – Asosasyon nin mga Parahagot sa Catanduanes.

Tay Erning is thrice visited by elements of the Philippine National Police (PNP): First was in the afternoon of August 21 by 3 PNP officers ; Second was on August 25, also in the afternoon, by 4 PNP personnel, and this morning, August 26, by 2 PNP personnel. We are still yet to receive the details of the questions hurled at him during those visits. But Tay Erning is now unable to attend meetings and other organizational obligations for fear of his life.

These unabated harassments and intimidations against peasant and sectoral leaders, human rights defenders, and other advocates for the rights and welfare of marginalized sectors are meant to sow fear and terror to halt the growing people’s clamor for the genuine delivery of basic services and social change. The government is putting big chuncks of people’s money to fund terror through the National Security Policy, the NTF ELCAC, and unimaginable amounts of Intelligence Funds.

Tay Erning is an old peasant, living alone, still finding time to advance the rights and welfare of the members of his organizations. But what he and the peasant leaders like him receive in return are but harassment, vilifications, red-tagging, trumped-up charges endangering precious lives and livelihood.

The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) must step up and closely investigate these deliberate and systematic harassments perpetrated by elements of state forces against peasant leaders and rights defenders like Tay Erning causing fear and pychological trauma. State forces are supposed to protect citizens, not to persecute them.

# JUNK the National Security Policy! # ABOLISH NTF – ELCAC! # RESPECT and UPHOLD human rights! # HANDS-OFF activists and rights defenders!

DEFEND - Bikol August 26, 2023