CWA Condemns Raid and Arrest of Union Organizer and CWA Ally in the Philippines

According to disturbing reports from the Philippines, military police raided the regional offices of several progressive and union organizations in Bacolod on Friday, arresting union organizer Mary-Anne Krueger (known as Anne) and others. Witnesses to the raid report that those conducting the raid planted two pistols and eight bullets on the property as a pretext to make the arrests.

Anne and her husband Michael de la Concepcion are longtime union organizers in the Philippines and CWA allies, even hosting CWA members when they visited during the 2016 Verizon strike. Last week's arrests, which may number as many as 60, appear to be part of a larger orchestrated crackdown meant to discourage workers from organizing.

"The arrest of Anne Krueger and larger raids and retaliation against union and progressive organizers are unacceptable and the latest evidence of the effort to silence and intimidate those seeking to improve the lives and conditions of Filipino workers," CWA President Chris Shelton said. "CWA strongly condemns the raids and arrests and stands in solidarity with Anne and her family and all those arrested in what appears to be a crackdown on workers exercising their human rights."

Support Anne and other Philippine union organizers by signing a petition to Philippine President President Rodrigo Duterte and local law enforcement officials. Click here to sign.