AT LEAST 13 church workers and activists were arrested Wednesday evening, July 4, while attending a seminar on farmers and Lumad issues at the Mother Francisca and Spirituality Center, Radasa St., Ladao, General Santos City.

Among those arrested are top leaders of militant organizations namely Datu Jomorito Guaynon, chairperson of the Kalumbay Lumad organization; Ireneo Udarbe, chairperson of the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas; Vennel Chenfoo, chairperson of the Kabataan Partylist; Kristine Cabardo, chairperson of the League of Filipino Students; Teresita Naul of human rights group Karapatan; Aldeem Yanez, church worker of the Iglesia Filipina Independiente; and farmer leader Roger Plana, all of Northern Mindanao.

Also arrested were the security guard and staff of the Iglesia Filipina Independiente Visayas-Mindanao Regional Office for Development (IFI-VIMROD).

According to the alert of the rights group Karapatan, charges against them remain unknown.

In a statement, the IFI-VIMROD expressed its concern over the arrests and pointed out that this is yet another case of human rights abuse under the martial law regime in Mindanao.

The IFI-VIMROD said while the meeting was ongoing, elements of police barged into the group to serve a warrant of arrest for 3 persons whose names were not even known to the participants.

The police claimed that the participants were the ones named in the warrant arrest, and then proceeded to detain all of them at the Camp Fermin, General Santos City.

“Development workers who are striving to create a genuine development to geographically isolated and underserved communities, sadly become victims of trump-up charges,” it says.

“Instead of acknowledging their valuable contribution and supporting their efforts, the government maligns their development work to justify repression. We call on the immediate release of 13 development workers and ensure their safety so that they could continue their development work to justify repression,” it says.

The IFI-VIMROD said they continue to call for the resumption of peace talks as a sustainable solution in achieving genuine development work without any harassment and violence.