Center for Trade Union and Human Rights (Philippines)

18/08/2026

| Kyle Enero dismissal attacks BPO workers’ right to organize

A labor NGO expressed grave concern today over the termination of John Kyle Enero, a Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) worker-organizer in Cebu, calling it a clear act of retaliation and a blatant attack on the fundamental right of workers to organize.

The Center for Trade Union and Human Rights (CTUHR) said Enero’s termination by Azpired Inc. on August 11, 2026, came after a pattern of harassment and heightened scrutiny that intensified following Enero’s involvement in advocating for workers’ rights as a member and spokesperson of the BPO Industry Employees Network (BIEN).

“The termination of Kyle Enero is a textbook case of how corporations use vague allegations and administrative procedures to silence labor leaders. They want to instill a culture of fear to stop BPO workers from demanding their basic rights to safety and fair wages,” said Kamz Deligente, CTUHR executive director.

Kyle Enero had worked in the BPO industry for three years and was a Customer Service Representative at Azpired Inc. before being accused of "unauthorized disclosure" related to facilitating system access for a former employee. He consistently denied these claims, noting that the company failed to provide specific evidence or even a clear explanation of the alleged violation, depriving him of his right to due process.

CTUHR highlighted that the harassment began as early as October 2025, after Enero served as an employee representative during Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) inspections following a 6.9-magnitude earthquake in Cebu.

He played an instrumental leadership role during this crisis, exposing BPO firms that forced employees to work despite grave safety risks. His brave defense of workers’ safety established him as a key leader, but it also made him a target.

Management reportedly warned him to “tread carefully” immediately after BIEN filed formal complaints regarding the OSH violations issue.

“Terminating a leader for organizing is a threat to every worker in the sector. It warns them that defending their rights could lead to losing their jobs,” Deligente added.

Management’s actions reached a fever pitch just as Kyle Enero and his colleagues were intensifying their campaign for a ₱1,200 regional minimum wage increase and better working conditions. It is no coincidence that a worker who consistently advocated for the rights of others was suddenly targeted for termination based on vague assertions.

CTUHR further criticized the company's attempt to offer a settlement agreement that included a social media prohibition, which would have prevented Enero from speaking publicly about his termination. CTUHR argued that such gag orders are used to hide labor rights violations from public scrutiny.

“We stand in solidarity with Kyle Enero and the BPO workers of Cebu. We call on the Department of Labor and Employment to move beyond its habitual indifference and conduct a thorough investigation into this clear case of retaliatory dismissal and FOA violation. We call on the Marcos Jr. administration to stop being servile to foreign investors and instead uphold the constitutional rights of workers to organize without fear of retaliation,” Deligente ended.

CTUHR called for Enero’s immediate reinstatement, an end to the harassment of BPO workers and union organizers, and the full protection of workers’ rights to organize and speak out.

15/08/2026

PRESS RELEASE
August 15, 2026

BIEN-CEBU CONDEMNS ILLEGAL DISMISSAL OF WORKER-ORGANIZER KYLE ENERO

The BPO Industry Employees Network (BIEN)-Cebu strongly condemns the termination of its President, Kyle Enero, by his employer, Azpired, following a series of disciplinary actions that he consistently challenged as baseless, retaliatory, and lacking in due process.

The termination comes after a 12-day suspension, which BIEN-Cebu has maintained was illegal and part of a broader pattern of disciplinary measures directed against Enero.

Throughout his employment at Azpired, Enero documented what he described as workplace harassment, repeated disciplinary notices issued without sufficient evidence, and heightened scrutiny of his activities as a worker-organizer. These actions, BIEN-Cebu asserts, intensified following his affiliation with the organization.

BIEN-Cebu is particularly concerned that the escalation of disciplinary actions coincided with the organization's intensified campaign for a substantial wage increase in Cebu and Central Visayas, including its ₱1,200 minimum wage proposal, worker consultations, and engagement with government officials and the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board VII (RTWPB-VII).

For BIEN-Cebu, the timing of these actions raises serious concerns of retaliation against a worker who has been actively organizing and advocating for better wages and working conditions.

The dismissal of a worker who exercises his right to organize and raise legitimate labor concerns sends a chilling message to employees across the industry:

Speak up about your rights, and you risk losing your livelihood.

This is not merely about one worker. It is about the fundamental rights of all workers to freedom of association, to organize, to raise workplace concerns, and to receive due process and protection from retaliation.

BIEN-Cebu stands firmly with Kyle Enero. We will not be intimidated, silenced, or forced into retreat by the dismissal of our President.

BIEN-Cebu, together with Enero, will pursue appropriate legal and other remedies to challenge the dismissal and seek accountability for what we consider a grave injustice and violation of constitutionally protected workers' rights.

We call on BPO workers across Cebu and the country to remain vigilant and continue organizing for better working conditions, decent wages, job security, and respect for workers' rights.

REINSTATE KYLE ENERO!
DEFEND WORKERS' RIGHT TO ORGANIZE!
WAGE INCREASE NOW!
DEFEND WORKERS' RIGHTS!

For reference:

KYLE ENERO
President, BIEN-Cebu
Vice-President for Visayas, BIEN
[email protected]

14/08/2026

| Police use state laws to suppress labor rights, issue warrants vs labor leaders

The Center for Trade Union and Human Rights (CTUHR) strongly condemns the arrest warrants issued against Jerome Adonis, Chairperson of Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU), and Jacq Ruiz, spokesperson of Kilusan ng Manggagawang Kababaihan (KMK), over alleged violations of Article 153 of the Revised Penal Code, or Tumults and Other Disturbances of Public Order, in connection with the May 1 Labor Day Protest.

The warrants, issued by Judge Bernadette A. Eugenio-Tumacder, revive the previously dismissed charges against Adonis, while Ruiz was newly included among those facing arrest warrants. This further raises concerns over the use of the legal system to harass labor and rights defenders.

CTUHR noted that Adonis is now facing two cases arising from the May 1 protest: one under Article 153 of the Revised Penal Code and another under the Public Assembly Act of 1985 (Batas Pambansa 880).

“The timing of these arrest warrants is deeply alarming. At a time when workers are demanding a national living wage, resisting attempts to block the P85 wage increase, and speaking out against the Pax Silica agreement, state institutions are instead being used to intimidate and silence workers, unionists, and labor leaders” said Kamz Deligente, CTUHR executive director.

CTUHR highlighted that Adonis and Ruiz were exercising rights guaranteed under the 1987 Constitution when they joined workers in demanding higher wages, job security, and better working conditions. The attacks against them form part of a broader pattern of attacks on labor rights and civil liberties.

“The real disturbance is not workers taking to the streets to demand decent wages and job security. The real disturbance is the use of police power and state laws to silence workers who speak up for their rights. The continued use of criminal charges arising from peaceful protests only legitimizes the harassment of workers who are exercising their democratic rights,” Deligente added.

It is disturbing that state authorities continue to treat peaceful protest as a threat to public order while remaining indifferent to the conditions that drive workers to the streets. Workers continue to face low wages, contractualization, unemployment, and attacks on their right to organize, yet those who raise these issues are the ones being subjected to police action and court proceedings.

CTUHR calls on the Marcos Jr. administration to instruct the Philippine National Police-Manila Police District to immediately withdraw the cases against Adonis and Ruiz, and uphold the human rights of workers and all Filipinos.

We likewise call on the government to end the use of state laws and legal processes to suppress labor rights and to uphold the constitutional rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, and freedom of association.

10/08/2026

| Freeze on NCR wage hike unconscionable, calls for P1,200 living wage legislation

The Center for Trade Union and Human Rights (CTUHR) today demanded the immediate and full implementation of the P85 minimum wage increase in Metro Manila, criticizing the petitioners for putting business interests ahead of workers who are already struggling with the rising cost of living.

The demand comes after the Alliance of Philippines Fishing Federations (APFF) filed a petition in Navotas Regional Trial Court (RTC), calling for the temporary suspension of the wage hike.

“It will be an attack to the workers and their families, if the Navotas RTC will allow the freezing of the measly P85 pesos increase while inflation remains unchecked,” said Kamz Deligente, CTUHR executive director.

“The Pasig RTC’s recent ruling suspending the wage hike is already an insult to workers, especially since Article 126 of the Labor Code clearly prohibits courts from issuing injunctions or temporary restraining orders against proceedings before the wage boards. For another petition to seek the same amid an already difficult economic situation is simply unconscionable,” Deligente added.

CTUHR challenges the petitioners Readycon Trading and Construction Corp., R-II Builders, and APFF to explain how the wage increase will harm their multi-million peso businesses.

Further, CTUHR welcomed the 21 senators who signed Senate Resolution No. 577 urging the Pasig court to lift the TRO. However, we are challenging the legislators to show greater political resolve in addressing the root cause of worker poverty, and do more for the working class.

“If the Senate can gather full support to defend an P85 increase, it should use that same influence to push for a P1,200 national living wage, allowing workers to live with dignity,” Deligente said.

Likewise, we call on Labor and Employment Secretary Francis N. Tolentino to go beyond challenging the TRO and elevate the discussion toward legislating a genuine living wage. We also call on the Marcos Jr. administration to urgently act on the matter and should stop relying on small and temporary relief. The administration shall also grant the calls of labor institutions in abolishing the regional wage boards and implement a national living wage across the nation.

07/08/2026

The Surface William Lariosa Network (SWLN) welcomes the Supreme Court resolution requiring respondents to comment on the petition for Certiorari filed by the Lariosa family
Last week, the Lariosa family and the SWLN received information that the Supreme Court has issued a resolution dated July 8, 2026 that directs respondents (i.e. 48th Infantry Battalion, 60th Infantry Battalion, 10th Infantry Division, among others) to comment on the petition for review on Certiorari filed by the family of missing labor organizer William Lariosa. The Lariosa family filed the said petition last October 2025 to appeal the lower courts' unfavorable rulings on the Lariosa family's petitions for Writ of Habeas Corpus, Writ of Habeas Data, and Writ of Amparo.
We in the SWLN remain vigilant and steadfast as we go through the legal process and further advance the campaign for William Lariosa's surfacing. William Lariosa was abducted and forcibly disappeared on April 24, 2024 in Quezon, Bukidnon reportedly by elements of the Armed Forces of the Philippines operating in the area.

The Surface William Lariosa Network (SWLN) welcomes the Supreme Court resolution requiring respondents to comment on the petition for Certiorari filed by the Lariosa family

Last week, the Lariosa family and the SWLN received information that the Supreme Court has issued a resolution dated July 8, 2026 that directs respondents (i.e. 48th Infantry Battalion, 60th Infantry Battalion, 10th Infantry Division, among others) to comment on the petition for review on Certiorari filed by the family of missing labor organizer William Lariosa. The Lariosa family filed the said petition last October 2025 to appeal the lower courts' unfavorable rulings on the Lariosa family's petitions for Writ of Habeas Corpus, Writ of Habeas Data, and Writ of Amparo.

We in the SWLN remain vigilant and steadfast as we go through the legal process and further advance the campaign for William Lariosa's surfacing. William Lariosa was abducted and forcibly disappeared on April 24, 2024 in Quezon, Bukidnon reportedly by elements of the Armed Forces of the Philippines operating in the area.

05/08/2026

CTUHR baby kaya yan, EYYYY! 🤙

MabuhEYYYY, Rey!

Pagbati at pagpupugay sa isa pang mahusay at masipag na staff na kabilang sa mga nagtapos ng kolehiyo ngayong 2026. 👏🎓

Patuloy mong gamitin ang iyong giting, husay at tapang sa paglilingkod sa mga manggagawa at sambayanan! ✊️❤️

01/08/2026

| Remulla’s ‘loose firearm’ narrative is a license for police overkill – labor NGO

Following the statement of Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla absolving the Philippine National Police (PNP) of the killing of construction worker Eric Saber, a labor rights NGO condemns the government for using “loose firearm” claims to justify and sanitize state-sponsored violence.

The Center for Trade Union and Human Rights (CTUHR) said that by attributing the fatal shot to an unidentified weapon, the government is signaling that the PNP can continue its “overkill” responses without fear of accountability. We emphasize that such a narrative is a direct threat to human rights, as it implies that excessive use of force is acceptable as long as a convenient excuse can be manufactured.

Kamz Deligente, CTUHR executive director, said the facts of the September 21 incident remain clear: Eric Saber was innocent who had just exited the LRT Recto station and was shot by police while they were responding to a riot. She noted that the police response was a paranoid “overkill,” featuring the firing of live ammunition that resulted in Saber’s death from a stray bullet, the cowardly use of a civilian shield while firing, and the brutal, indiscriminate beating of both protesters and bystanders (https://web.facebook.com/share/p/1HxvdnPzF6/).

“Secretary Remulla’s claim further allows state forces to treat the Filipino workers’ lives as cheap and expendable. This proves that the murderous legacy of the past administration is very much alive under the current administration,” Deligente added.

This pattern of police overkill and the targeting of peaceful protestors was again on full display during the recent State of the Nation Address protest, where the PNP forcefully arrested approximately 51 youth activists. Just as in Saber’s case, the police utilized high-handed tactics to suppress dissent, failing to provide clear justifications for the arrests while dangerously denying the detainees their fundamental and constitutional right to counsel.

The labor NGO said that while the administration may attempt to absolve the PNP, the reality of police brutality will remain at the center of the people’s demand for justice. “We do not pin our hopes on the lies of state officials who shield abusers; we demand a thorough, independent investigation to hold those responsible for Eric Saber’s death and the systemic ‘overkill’ of the PNP accountable,” Deligente added.

31/07/2026

| UN rights body’s action on migrant rights activist welcome

A labor NGO praised today the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Committee’s (HRC) decision earlier this month to accept a complaint about the extrajudicial killing of a Panay-based migrant rights activist during the COVID-19 pandemic, saying it is a welcome step towards attaining justice and accountability.

The Center for Trade Union Rights (CTUHR) said the decision of the HRC, the UN body that monitors the implementation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), on the case of Jory Porquia shows that families of victims of extrajudicial killings are continuing to fight through various avenues available to them.

“We are very glad that the HRC accepted the complaint about Ka Jory’s extrajudicial killing. The decision and the ensuing investigation are statements to the Philippine government to stop pretending that there’s nothing wrong, stop extrajudicial killings, and punish those responsible for this crime,” said Kamz Deligente, CTUHR executive director.

The case was filed in May 2025 by Porquia’s family, with the help of lawyers from the National Union of People’s Lawyers or NUPL, before the HRC, which is a UN treaty body made up by 18 independent human rights experts from different countries.

“The HRC’s admission of Jory’s case gives hope to the families, loved ones and comrades of all victims of extrajudicial killings in the country who have failed to attain justice under the country’s justice system. It is a hopeful sign for the labor movement, which is seeking justice for the 109 workers and labor activists extrajudicially killed since 2016,” Deligente added.

Porquia was an Overseas Filipino Worker and organizer of migrant group Migrante, environmentalist and member of environmental group Madia-as Ecological Movement, community organizer and partylist Bayan Muna’s coordinator in Iloilo City, who was shot and killed on April 30, 2020 in Brgy. Santo Niño Norte, Arevalo District.

“The HRC decision is a statement to the Philippine government that lives matter, that labor activists’ lives matter. The government cannot forever ignore the cries for justice of the victims of its policy of extrajudicial killings of activists,” Deligente stated.

CTUHR recalled that other labor activists were extrajudicially killed during the pandemic, most notably labor leader Manny Asuncion who was shot during the March 7 Bloody Sunday joint police-military raids in Southern Tagalog, and labor leader Dandy Miguel, who was shot while driving his motorcycle bike home on 28 March 2021.

“Many Filipinos know by now that the Philippine government is guilty of violating activists’ right to life and right to effective remedy, which are sacred rights under the ICCPR. We are optimistic that an honest investigation by the HRC will ferret out this truth at the UN level,” Deligente stated.

30/07/2026

| Court order vs. NCR wage hike shows govt callous to workers

A labor NGO condemned today the ruling issued by the Pasig Regional Trial Court suspending the implementation of the P85 minimum wage hike for private sector workers in Metro Manila, saying it shows the government’s insensitivity towards the plight of the country’s workers.

The Center for Trade Union and Human Rights (CTUHR) criticized the decision handed down by Pasig RTC Executive Judge Achilles Bulauitan dated July 24 giving the petitioners from the private sector time to file a Temporary Restraining Order, saying it shows a lack of understanding of the extent of workers’ suffering due to high prices and the economic crisis.

“So the historically highest minimum wage hike in Metro Manila is being met with a court suspension, also a historical first. The increase is supposed to show that the government cares for workers, but this ruling shows us that the government is manhid, numb, to the workers’ suffering,” said Kamz Deligente, CTUHR executive director.

Deligente challenged the petitioners, construction companies Readycon Trading and Construction Corp., represented by its president Jesus F. Ignacio, and R-II Builders Inc., represented by its president Carlos B. Carlos, which online materials reveal to be government contractors not small businesses, to disclose how the wage hike would harm their business.

“We are concerned with the condition of our small and medium enterprises. In our dialogues with them, they tell us that what is really hurting their businesses are high power rates, taxes, bureaucratic kickbacks, and cost of raw materials and competition from big corporations – not labor cost. The problem is it’s easier for them to press down wages,” Deligente added.

CTUHR said that the court suspension of the P85 wage hike, which was announced by Labor Secretary Francis Tolentino on June 30, is a challenge to the country’s workers to speak up on social media and various venues, and hold protests to show that they are suffering from the high prices of basic goods and services.

“The court ruling is of course perfectly legal; it shows that the government is operating according to its rules. The challenge now lies with the country’s workers. We know that they are suffering from the cost of living crisis, but we have yet to see if this court decision will cause them to speak out and act,” said Deligente.

The labor NGO said that the court decision is also a litmus test for the government of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr to demonstrate political resolve to provide a little relief to the country’s workers, lest it exposes that it was just trying to pacify workers’ demands for a significant wage hike especially before his State of the Nation Address (SONA) last July 27.

“In his SONA, Marcos Jr bragged about his government’s relief measures for the country’s workers. This court ruling threatens to reveal his concern for workers as a sham, and his government’s relief measures for workers as band-aid solutions. He should ensure that the wage hike gets implemented,” Deligente stated.

29/07/2026

Joint statement of NUPL, PILC, SENTRA, PLACE and NUPL-NCR: We demand an immediate end to the custodial interrogation and political profiling of activists, and accountability for everyone who ordered, conducted, facilitated, or tolerated these acts.

The PNP must immediately identify the interrogators, disclose the authority under which they acted, and explain how persons falsely claiming affiliation with NUPL gained access to detainees inside a police facility. It must preserve and produce all relevant records of the custodial interrogation and hold everyone responsible to account.
We likewise call on the CHR to conduct an independent investigation into the entire incident—including the denial of counsel, the threats and intimidation, the identity and authority of the interrogators, and the circumstances under which they gained access to the detainees—and to determine whether they were connected with the CHR or falsely invoked its name and authority.

We are putting the PNP on notice: our clients shall not be subjected to any further questioning except in our presence and with our effective assistance as their counsel. We will pursue all available remedies against anyone who attempts otherwise.

JOINT STATEMENT ON THE ILLEGAL INTERROGATION OF YOUTH ACTIVISTS ARRESTED DURING THE PEOPLE'S SONA

We, the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL), Public Interest Law Center (PILC), Sentro Para sa Tunay na Repormang Agraryo (SENTRA), Pro-Labor Legal Assistance Center (PLACE), and NUPL–National Capital Region, condemn the unlawful, deceptive, and intimidating interrogation of youth activists arrested during the People’s SONA.

Of the 51 persons arrested, 42 were released in the early hours of July 28, 2026. Nine remain detained at the Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit of the Quezon City Police District (QCPD) in Camp Karingal.

On July 28, following inquest proceedings on complaints filed by the QCPD and Meralco, at least seven of the detainees were taken in groups to a conference room and questioned without their lawyers present. The interrogation was conducted by three unidentified men who introduced themselves as lawyers or paralegals affiliated with the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) and NUPL. When asked to present identification, they refused, claiming that their identities were confidential. They proceeded to question the detainees using a document titled “Custodial Debriefing Report,” prominently marked “SECRET” in red.

NUPL categorically confirms that none of these men was its lawyer, paralegal, or authorized representative.

The interrogators sought extensive personal information from the detainees, including details about their families, present and previous addresses, education, employment, hobbies, tattoos, and social media activity. They pressed the detainees about their supposed membership in organizations such as “Vandals United,” “Skateboarders United,” and “Junkie Rebels Crew,” the identities of alleged organizational leaders, and the identities of persons shown in photographs.

The questioning continued despite the detainees’ repeated denials of any affiliation with these organizations. They were asked, “Papano ka napasali sa Vandals United?” and “Papano ka naki-cooperate sa mga grupo na ’yun?” When they denied the accusations, they were told, “Malalaman din naman namin ’yan” and “Bakit ka tatakbo kung ’di ka parte ng mga grupo na mga iyon?”

Most disturbingly, one detainee reported that an interrogator leaned toward him and whispered, “Babatukan na kita,” after he said that he could not identify the supposed leaders being referred to.

This conduct flagrantly violated Article III, Section 12 of the Constitution and Section 2 of Republic Act No. 7438. These provisions guarantee that persons arrested, detained, or placed under custodial investigation have the right to remain silent and to be assisted at all times by competent and independent counsel. These rights cannot be waived except in writing and in the presence of counsel. The reported threat, moreover, is precisely the kind of coercive conduct prohibited by Article III, Section 12(2), which expressly bars threats, intimidation, and other means that vitiate a person’s free will.

The breadth and character of the questions reveal a purpose extending far beyond the offenses alleged at the inquest. Their focus on organizational affiliations, internal structures, and the identities of other individuals points to an effort to profile activists, map their associations, and gather intelligence on organizations engaged in lawful and constitutionally protected activity.

We demand an immediate end to the custodial interrogation and political profiling of activists, and accountability for everyone who ordered, conducted, facilitated, or tolerated these acts.

The PNP must immediately identify the interrogators, disclose the authority under which they acted, and explain how persons falsely claiming affiliation with NUPL gained access to detainees inside a police facility. It must preserve and produce all relevant records of the custodial interrogation and hold everyone responsible to account.

We likewise call on the CHR to conduct an independent investigation into the entire incident—including the denial of counsel, the threats and intimidation, the identity and authority of the interrogators, and the circumstances under which they gained access to the detainees—and to determine whether they were connected with the CHR or falsely invoked its name and authority.

We are putting the PNP on notice: our clients shall not be subjected to any further questioning except in our presence and with our effective assistance as their counsel. We will pursue all available remedies against anyone who attempts otherwise. #

Media Contacts:

Atty. Katherine A. Panguban
National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers
+63 956 673 0301

Atty. Carlos Montemayor Jr.
Public Interest Law Center
+63 906 200 0291

Atty. Zoe Caballero
Sentro Para sa Tunay na Repormang Agraryo
+63 906 427 3981

Atty. Arman Hernando
Pro-Labor Legal Assistance Center
+63 985 939 6547

Photo from Altermidya