TALISAY CITY, Negros Occidental — Human Rights Advocates Negros and farmers union Unyon ng mga Manggagawa sa Agrikultura have raised alarm over the arrest of five individuals in Barangay Matab-ang, Talisay City, citing accounts that they said mirror “old tactics” of state forces, including planted evidence, warrantless searches, custodial abuse and denial of legal counsel.
According to Julie Ann Balora, one of those detained, she was traveling south from Victorias City in a rented van with four male companions on the night of April 22, 2026.
Julie Ann Balora is a National Council member of Unyon ng Manggagawa sa Agrikultura (UMA) and an organizer for the National Federation of Sugar Workers (NFSW).
Twenty minutes into their trip along the Circumferential Road, an unmarked van cut them off, forcing them to a halt. Additional vehicles quickly surrounded the group. Armed operatives ordered the passengers to disembark at gunpoint and forced them to kneel with their heads bowed.
Balora maintains that the subsequent search was irregular.
- Unanswered Pleas: The driver reportedly questioned the validity of the search and the lack of warrants, but operatives ignored him.
- Planted Bags: Balora claims she witnessed an operative place two bags—one gray—inside their vehicle during the commotion.
- Manufactured Charges: Authorities later claimed the bags contained firearms and hand grenades, a charge Balora categorically denies.
Rights Violations in Custody
The group was transported to the Talisay PNP Station, where HRAN reports several grave procedural lapses:
- Interrogation without Counsel: The detainees were subjected to questioning without the presence of a lawyer.
- Physical Abuse: Balora reported witnessing a police officer punch Dannyboy de Baguio in the chest.
- Coercion: An alleged “Glenmar Bacusmo” was reportedly separated from the group multiple times for isolated interrogation.
As of midnight, following the arrest, the group was split; three were reportedly transferred to the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), while Balora remained at the Talisay PNP station.
UMA decried the arrest of Balora and her companions as a continuation of “Duterte-style suppression” under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., particularly against agricultural workers’ unions and peasant organizations in Negros Island.
“It seems like the state is making an example out of Julie Ann and Errol and sending a message to militant peasants: ‘You’ll fight back for your rights? Here is what will happen to you,” remarked UMA national chairperson Ariel ‘Ka Ayik’ Casilao.
UMA added that the continuing attacks on agricultural workers, including the Toboso killings and the arrest of Balora, should be scrutinized by international bodies, including the International Criminal Court and the International Labor Organization.
Authorities and anonymous independent sources cited by various media erroneously claimed Glenmar Bacusmo and Judy Caramihan as among the 19 casualties of the military operation in Toboso, Negros Occidental, on April 19, 2026.
Paghimutad 