Jose Puancing, a 63-year-old farmer and leader of the farm workers’ organization Paghili-usa sang mga Obrero sa Brgy. Jonob-Jonob (POBJ), was arrested by the 79th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army last October 7 in Escalante City, Negros Occidental. The arrest stemmed from a 2019 search warrant linked to charges of illegal possession of firearms and explosives.

The warrant was issued during a series of police and military raids targeting activists in Bacolod and Escalante City in 2019, infamously knowns as the “Negros Crackdown” under the previous Duterte administration.

The warrant was signed by Quezon City Judge Cecilyn Burgos-Villavert, who has been criticized for issuing what some call “search warrant factory” orders. Puancing was not present during the original raid in 2019, where police claimed to have found weapons in his home.

Human Rights Advocates Negros (HRAN) expressed concern over Puancing’s arrest, noting that it is part of a continued pattern of persecution against farmer leaders and workers in Negros under the Marcos administration’s anti-insurgency campaign. HRAN condemned the use of an old, questionable warrant to arrest Puancing, citing previous cases linked to the same warrant that have been dismissed for lack of evidence.

Human rights alliance KARAPATAN also condemned the arrest, describing the charges as “trumped-up” and accusing the authorities of planting evidence. KARAPATAN recalled that Puancing was among several activists arrested during the 2019 crackdown, most of whom were eventually released due to insufficient evidence and inconsistencies in the testimonies of state forces.

In a statement, KARAPATAN called for Puancing’s immediate release, asserting that the charges against him are baseless and fabricated.

KARAPATAN further demanded that Judge Villavert, who issued the warrant, be disqualified from her applications to higher judicial positions, accusing her of complicity in human rights violations. They reiterated that Villavert should be held accountable for her actions, which they say continue to violate the rights of individuals like Puancing.

Puancing remains in detention as legal proceedings continue.