CHR seeks help to locate missing labor organizer Lariosa
The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) has urged anyone who has information on the whereabouts of labor organizer William Lariosa to come forward and help the investigation on his disappearance.
Lariosa, a member of the Kilusang Mayo Uno in the Southern Mindanao Region, had been allegedly arrested by suspected military agents on April 10 in Barangay Butong, Quezon, Bukidnon.
Prior to his disappearance, the CHR said there were reports that Lariosa and members of his family had been targeted with threats and harassment. He has not been found as of posting.
The family of Lariosa has reached out to CHR Region X and XI regarding the search for the labour organizer. The CHR conducted its own independent investigation on the case, while both of its regional offices are in coordination with the Lariosa family and relevant agencies and groups in order to speed up the search and determine his safety.
"The Commission reiterates that arbitrary or unlawful deprivation of liberty are grave human rights violations as stipulated under Republic Act No. 10353, or the Anti-Enforced or Involuntary Disappearance Act of 2012. Some of these acts may include illegal arrests, detention, or abduction," the CHR said in a statement.
"With the recent commemoration of Labor Day last May 1, we echo the call of the labor workforce in urging the Philippine government to address the recurring vulnerabilities that Filipino workers face on a daily basis and to provide accessible avenues for them to express their grievances," it said.
"We hope that the State will take decisive actions in confronting this matter before another case of a missing labour organizer arises," it added.