Rights groups demand release of Iloilo elderly activists arrested on Holy Week

Their arrest during the solemn observance of Lent reflects the continuing injustice faced by those who stand with the poor and oppressed.

By Marjuice Destinado
Bulatlat.com

CEBU – Two elderly women activists were arrested in Pavia, Iloilo on Maundy Thursday, April 2, sparking renewed outrage from human rights groups over violations of due process, legal access, and the continued targeting of rights defenders.

Authorities detained Josephine Parra Porquia, 64, and Ma. Luisa Tagamolila Guillen, 62, during a joint police and military operation. Both are now held at the Pavia Municipal Police Station.

“Their arrest during the solemn observance of Lent reflects the continuing injustice faced by those who stand with the poor and oppressed. Like the biblical betrayal and injustice symbolized by Judas and Barabbas, these actions expose the moral bankruptcy of a system that persecutes those who serve the people,” Panay Alliance Karapatan said in a statement.

Karapatan said authorities deliberately timed the arrests during Holy Week, when courts and offices operate at reduced capacity, limiting the women’s ability to access legal assistance or challenge the legality of their detention.

“These arrests are not only unjust, they are cruelly calculated,” Karapatan Secretary General Cristina Palabay said. “To carry them out during Holy Week, when courts and offices operate on limited capacity, effectively ensures illegal detention. This exposes how the legal system is being manipulated to punish those who serve the people.”

Police are accusing Porquia and Guillen as members of Kilusang Rehiyon–Panay, described as the regional committee of the Communist Party of the Philippines and its armed wing, the New People’s Army.

Porquia was arrested under a June 28, 2012 warrant for rebellion issued by the Regional Trial Court Branch 21 in Mambusao, Capiz, with a recommended bail of P40,000 ($663.60). Police also claimed she possessed materials used to make improvised explosive devices, potentially exposing her to charges of illegal possession, manufacture, and dealing of explosives under Republic Act No. 9516. Guillen was detained for alleged obstruction of justice after reportedly interfering with the operation. 

Karapatan, however, rejected the authorities’ accusations, describing the charges as part of a longstanding pattern of criminalization and harassment aimed at activists and development workers.

Porquia has worked closely with migrant communities and overseas Filipino workers, and is the widow of Jose Reynaldo “Jory” Porquia, a Bayan Muna Iloilo City coordinator and community leader killed by state forces in April 2020. Since his death, she and her family have faced persistent red-tagging and harassment.

Guillen, a member of progressive women’s group Gabriela, has consistently advocated for women’s rights and the expansion of social services to marginalized communities. Her family has likewise been targeted, including the near-fatal stabbing of her son, human rights lawyer Angelo Karlo Guillen, in 2021 while he handled sensitive human rights cases.

“Josephine and Ma. Luisa are not, and never will be, criminals. They are development workers who have devoted their lives to uplifting marginalized communities. They lead their families and communities in demanding accountability from the State, after what happened to their loved ones,” Palabay said.

Karapatan emphasized that the persecution of Porquia and Guillen reflects a continuation of policies under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., which mirror previous practices of targeting activists with questionable police operations, trumped-up charges, and disregard for due process.

“All fabricated charges against them must be dropped. They do not deserve a single day in jail. It is clear who continues to betray the people, the Marcos Jr. government. Release Josephine and Ma. Luisa!” Palabay added.

‘Cruelty dressed as law enforcement’

Bayan Muna also denounced the arrests, emphasizing their human rights implications. Its chairperson, former Bayan Muna Rep. Neri Colmenares, said the timing deprived the two women of meaningful access to justice.

“Arresting two senior women development workers on Holy Thursday is cruelty dressed up as law enforcement,” Colmenares said, adding that the arrests appeared designed to keep them detained throughout the Holy Week period.

He called on the Department of Justice, the Commission on Human Rights, and the courts to intervene, warning that delayed access to legal remedies risks normalizing prolonged and unjust detention.

“Their work is not a crime. What should be condemned is the continuing practice of red-tagging and the weaponization of the justice system against activists, rights defenders, and development workers,” Colmenares said. (AMU, RVO)

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