Statement of the NAGKAISA Labor Coalition for the Immediate and Unconditional Release of Lee Cheuk Yan

The NAGKAISA Labor Coalition stands in firm solidarity with our comrades in the global labour and civil society movement in calling for the immediate and unconditional release of Lee Cheuk Yan.

Lee, a well-known labour leader and pro-democracy activist, has been targeted under the sweeping provisions of China’s National Security Law imposed on Hong Kong in 2020—accused of “inciting subversion of state power” for his involvement in the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China and the exercise of his most basic rights: freedom of assembly, association, expression and memory.

We affirm that:

• The criminalisation of Lee’s peaceful work is a direct assault on trade union freedoms, on democratic space, and on the dignity of workers everywhere.

• The fact that Lee and others have been held for over 1,500 days for acting in defence of rights reveals the scale of repression we are up against.

• When the right to remember past struggles is suppressed, the right to organise for the future is weakened. The Hong Kong Alliance’s decades-long work to commemorate the victims of the 1989 Tiananmen protests is at the heart of this challenge.

Therefore, NAGKAISA calls on:

1. The Hong Kong authorities and relevant governments to drop all charges against Lee Cheuk Yan and to release him immediately and unconditionally.

2. Labour organisations, human rights institutions and governments around the world to monitor the trial closely, to apply diplomatic and moral pressure, and to stand together in solidarity.

3. Filipino unions and the broad labour movement in the Philippines to raise Lee’s case, to recognise its significance for workers’ rights globally, and to reaffirm that we are interconnected—when union freedom is undermined in one place, it is weakened everywhere.

We in NAGKAISA pledge:

• We will elevate Lee’s case in our national forums and international engagements.

• We will continue to stand in solidarity with colleagues in Hong Kong and the Asia-Pacific region who are under threat.

• We will continue to defend the principle that there can be no labour justice without human rights.

For the freedom of Lee Cheuk Yan. For the dignity of workers everywhere.

Largest Labor Coalition Welcomes New Ombudsman with Caution, Calls for Transparency in Graft Probes; Mobilizes for Big Bonifacio Day Rally

The NAGKAISA Labor Coalition, the largest labor coalition in the country, wishes good luck to and welcomes the new Ombudsman, DOJ Secretary Boying Remulla — and calls on him to make his mark as a full-time graft buster with fire in his belly and courage in his heart.

“We welcome the new Ombudsman, DOJ Secretary Boying Remulla — to act as full-time graft buster! We hope he brings not just fire in his belly, but courage in his heart to take on corruption head-on!” said Atty. Sonny Matula, President of the Chair of NAGKAISA and FFW President.

NAGKAISA Spokesperson and PM Chair Rene Magtubo  added, “He might not be everyone’s ideal choice, but we recognize that he is a good lawyer who knows the ground and the terrain of the river and valleys of our political landscape. Panahon na para patuyuin ang baha ng korapsyon — to slay the draconian problem of corruption that has long drained our nation dry.”

NAGKAISA Convenor and SENTRO Deputy Secretary General Nice Coronacion expressed hope that Remulla’s appointment signals renewed vigor in the fight against corruption, emphasizing that this must be done with transparency and accountability.

“We pray he goes after every suspect of graft — no fear, no favor, no sacred cows. His victory over corruption will be the people’s gain, the workers’ hope, and the nation’s win — lalo na ng mga manggagawang tapat at mga mamamayang nagbabayad ng buwis nang walang ninanakaw,” Coronacion declared.

The coalition urged the Ombudsman and the newly created Indendent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) to coordinate and to conduct investigations in the open, not in secrecy.

“The public deserves to know. Only germs are afraid of the searching light of scrutiny,” NAGKAISA Coronacion quipped. “Transparency is the best disinfectant against corruption.”

Workers Prepare for Bonifacio Day Rally vs Corruption

In line with this renewed call for clean governance, NAGKAISA announced it is mobilizing its local unions, federations, and workers’ associations across the country to join forces with church and civil society groups in a massive Bonifacio Day rally on November 30, 2025.

The rally will serve as a national day of action to demand accountability, transparency, and good governance — values embodied by the heroism of Andres Bonifacio, the worker-revolutionary.

“This Bonifacio Day, we fight corruption — the modern oppressor that steals not just public funds but also the dreams of Filipino workers and their families,” NAGKAISA Chair Matula concluded.

Anti-Corruption Groups Hold Mass and Rally at EDSA Shrine to Condemn Corruption in Flood Control Projects

Tindig Pilipinas, NAGKAISA! Labor Coalition, Kalipunan ng Kilusang Masa, Simbahan at Komunidad Laban sa Katiwalian, and pro-democracy organizations, held a mass and rally today, September 11, at the historic EDSA Shrine to protest the massive corruption tied to anomalous flood control projects.

Billions of pesos meant to protect Filipinos from the devastating impact of floods had allegedly been lost to ghost projects, kickbacks, and collusion between politicians and contractors. For the coalition, this massive corruption was yet another betrayal of the Filipino people, especially the poor and vulnerable who bore the brunt of floods and climate disasters.

“We cannot stay silent while our money is being stolen, while our people drown in both floods and corruption,” said Kiko Aquino Dee, Convenor of Tindig Pilipinas. 

“Every peso pocketed by these corrupt officials is a classroom not built, a health center left unfinished, and flood protection denied to our communities. That is why we demand: buuin na ang isang independent commission to investigate this massive corruption, and release the SALNs of all public officials involved. Transparency and accountability must begin now,” Dee added. 

Judy Ann Chan Miranda, from NAGKAISA! Labor Coalition, underscored the moral urgency of collective action. “This is not just about corruption, it is about life and death, justice and injustice. The billions stolen from flood control projects could have saved lives and livelihoods. We gather at EDSA Shrine because we believe that, once again, the Filipino people must rise to demand truth, accountability, and reform.”

The coalition emphasized that the EDSA Shrine, a symbol of the people’s power against tyranny and abuse, was the rightful venue for citizens to once again declare: Enough is enough.

“Our call is simple: end corruption, hold the thieves accountable, and return the money to the people. Gawin nating kadiri muli ang kurapsyon,” Dee concluded.

On the Escalating Tensions in BARMM

The Nagkaisa Labor Coalition expresses grave concern over worrisome reports of escalating tensions in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). These tensions erupted following the government’s move to effect a regime change in the region, triggering a breakdown in trust between parties to the peace process.

We mark a historic victory when both the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) signed the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB). Yet today, we are alarmed that the MILF has suspended cooperation with its full implementation, including decommissioning. This is a dangerous turn of events that threatens to undo decades of painstaking progress toward peace.

We experienced firsthand that in fratricidal wars, it is workers who fall first. And we understand that real peace is not sealed by wishful thinking—it is secured by the vigilance of government and the continuing participation of the people.

We therefore strongly urge the immediate convening of a joint meeting of the Peace Implementing Panels of the GRP and the MILF to resolve outstanding issues, rebuild confidence, and return the peace process to its rightful track.

We likewise call on Malacañang—particularly Special Assistant to the President (SAP) Anton Lagdameo and OPAPRU Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr.—to abandon divide-and-rule tactics that only deepen mistrust and risk reigniting conflict in Mindanao. Such an approach undermines not just the peace process but also the stability of the entire country.

For the labor movement, peace is not optional—it is fundamental. War is anathema to our very DNA. In every conflict, it is always the working class—whether among civilians or combatants—who bear the heaviest burdens of violence, displacement, and loss.

It is therefore imperative that the peace process is preserved, strengthened, and advanced. The future of Mindanao, and indeed the whole nation, depends on it.