Human rights groups have raised alarm over a string of incidents targeting development workers and activists in Negros, Iloilo, and nearby provinces, citing harassment, intimidation, and what they describe as politically motivated arrests.
Two coast guard personnel visited Joselito Macapobre at around 9:00 am on March 30, 2026, in Negros Occidental questioning him about his whereabouts and demanding the names of his organization’s members. Macapobre is chairperson of the fisherfolk association PAMAGI and a volunteer community organizer for the organization Paghidaet sa Kauswagan Development Group (PDG).
The officers also entered his home without authorization while he was away, Macapobre said.
Macapobre said he has faced repeated harassment and so-called “red-tagging” since 2022. “Red-tagging” means labelling individuals or organizations as members of the rebel group New People’s Army or as “terrorist.” Macapobre also said he survived an attempted abduction in January 2026 after distributing aid to farmers, recounting how armed men forced him into a van before he managed to escape.
Macapobre has since filed Supreme Court petitions for a writ of amparo and habeas data, seeking protection from further threats and demanding that the allegedly unlawful data collection be disclosed or corrected. The human rights group Karapatan, which has called for a formal investigation, warned that Macapobre and his community remain at risk and urged the state to be held accountable for any harm.
In a separate incident, police arrested two elderly women activists during a joint police and military operation in Pavia, Iloilo, on April 2, 2026. The women were identified as Josephine Parra Porquia, 64, and Ma. Luisa Tagamolila Guillén, 62. Rights organizations criticized the timing, saying the Holy Week arrests limited access to legal assistance due to reduced court operations.
Authorities accused both women of links to the rebel group Kilusang Rehiyon–Panay/ New People’s Army. Porquia faces a rebellion charge dating back to 2012, while Guillen was detained on allegations of obstruction of justice. Rights advocates rejected the charges, describing the arrests as part of a broader pattern of red-tagging and criminalising activists. They said both women have long records of community work and advocacy for marginalised sectors.
Human rights organizations have urged the Supreme Court, the Commission on Human Rights, and other agencies to investigate both cases, warning that the continued targeting of activists and development workers risks further endangering civilian communities.
State authorities had not issued a public response to the harassment allegations in Negros or to the human rights criticisms surrounding the arrests in Iloilo.
Photo © Hustisya! Cebu