THE labor rights group Center for Trade Union and Human Rights (CTUHR) has condemned recent incidents of alleged “surveillance and intimidation” targeting the Davao regional office of the national labor organization Kilusang Mayo Uno–Southern Mindanao Region (KMU-SMR).
The calls for a government investigation come amid mounting reports of harassment against trade-union organizers in Davao Region.
Unidentified men observed, recorded at KMU office
In a statement released by the CTUHR, CCTV footage allegedly shows that on October 23, 2025, at approximately 11:30 a.m., two unidentified men riding in tandem on a motorcycle passed by the KMU-SMR office in Davao City and photographed or recorded its premises.
The statement further notes that a similar incident occurred on September 22 of the same year. The CTUHR said the incidents followed earlier harassment of KMU organizers, including Marvin Dacanay and Jeffrey Uypala, this year in the region.
History of red-tagging and laboor rights concerns
KMU-SMR has long alleged systematic harassment, red-tagging, and intimidation of its members.
According to Davao Today, Dacanay’s home was visited on July 24 this year by persons claiming to belong to the city Task Force, accusing him of being an armed rebel and urging him to surrender.
On August 8, Uypala was stopped by men on two motorcycles, identifying themselves as members of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, and was forced to cooperate and had his photo taken.
SunStar Davao also reported in November 2023 that KMU-SMR secretary-general Paul John “PJ” Dizon was harassed at his residence by individuals alleged to be linked with the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF–Elcac).
The CTUHR has argued that such incidents amount to attacks on workers’ freedom of association and indicate a climate of suppression of labor organizing across the region.
Calls for accountability amid government labor policy
These occurrences coincide with a period of heightened scrutiny of labor rights in the Philippines, including the issuance by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. of Executive Order 97 in September, which declares the government’s commitment to protect the right to form unions and engage in collective bargaining.
CTUHR and KMU argue that the Davao Region incidents pose a direct challenge to that commitment.
KMU-SMR also pointed out that its chapters in other regions appear to face significantly less harassment than its Southern Mindanao arm, raising questions about whether local dynamics in Davao may be contributing to a different enforcement or surveillance context.
According to CTUHR, the pattern of surveillance and intimidation experienced by KMU-SMR organizers in Davao should have an immediate and impartial investigation by the national government.
As of press time, however, the Davao City Police Office (DCPO) has not provided a public response or clarification regarding the reported events. Attempts by SunStar Davao to obtain a comment from the DCPO have likewise yielded no response. DEF