In honour of Maoj’s 47th birthday on April 30th and International Workers' Day the next day on May 1st, donate to the Free Maoj Fundraiser!  We are raising money to fund Maoj’s basic needs while still imprisoned, as well as his costly legal defence fees.  Maoj is a former student activist and long-time union organizer who was working with union alliance Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) [May 1st Movement] supporting the PISTON union public transport drivers who have been going on strike since 2017 to fight against the implementation of the Public Transport Modernization Program (PTMP). Though the name sounds progressive, the PTMP is anti-worker and undemocratic as its forcing workers to purchase absurdly expensive cars they cannot afford, its increasing the price of public transit for commuters, and its paving the way for further privatization of public transportation.  Maoj was arrested simply for supporting the strikes of Jeepney drivers who are raising legitimate demands despite an increasingly hostile environment. We assert that unionism is not a crime, and we must support union organizers like Maoj Maga, and all political prisoners, in their fight for freedom! Drop trumped up charges against unionists! Free all political prisoners! Free Maoj Now! Of your donation, 70% goes directly to Maoj's basic needs and legal fees, and 30% goes to CPSHR as we continue to organize until Maoj, and the hundreds of other political prisoners in the Philippines, are finally free. --- Canada Philippine Solidarity for Human Rights is fighting for the release of Political Prisoner Marklen "Maoj Maga who has been unjustly detained for 7 years. Political Prisoners in the Philippines are often denied basic human rights such as food, medical care, and proper legal representation. CPSHR is fundraising to support these basic needs and the campaign for his release. 70% of funds raised will go directly to Moaj to support his basic livelihood and defense, and 30% will go to CPSHRs campaign for his immediate release.  Who is Marklen "Maoj" Maga?  Maoj is a full-time trade union organizer of Kilusang Mayo Uno (May 1st Labor Movement) and a founding member of the youth group Anakbayan. He was abducted on February 22, 2018 by plainclothesmen who introduced themselves as Philippine National Police (PNP) officers, while he was playing basketball in Rizal. Later that day, family and friends were able to confirm that he was being held at the PNP-CIDG (Criminal Investigation and Detection Group) compound in Camp Crame. At the time of his arrest, Maga was actively supporting the strikes of the PISTON Land Transport Coalition who opposed the Jeepney “modernization” plans of the Philippine government. These plans included purchasing e-Jeepneys that cost over 2 million pesos which the workers could not afford and threatened their livelihoods.  Additionally, the “modernization” plans do not address the root issues of the pollution in the Philippines, as Jeepneys only constitute 2% of the vehicles on the road. The police arrested Maoj based on fabricated charges for a murder in a location in Mindanao where he had never been. During his arrest, he was also falsely accused of carrying a firearm, which was clearly planted.  He was convicted of illegal possession of a firearm and sentenced to 8-14 years, but the Court of Appeals eventually overturned the conviction, citing clear evidence of planted evidence and violations of his rights. Despite this, the government continued its persecution of Maoj, slapping him with seven more fabricated charges of murder and attempted murder.  With no basis for these charges, it now seems the intent is to keep Maojo in jail for as long as possible, as each case hearing progresses at a frustratingly slow pace. Thirty-eight years after the de jure end of the Martial Law era in the Philippines, the legacy of Martial Law continues with the ongoing detention of Maoj Maga and the ever-growing number of politically motivated arrests and detentions  in the Philippines. Since Martial Law ended, over seven hundred people have been detained and almost eight hundred political prisoners are still held behind bars in the Philippines today.

Canada-Philippine Solidarity for Human Rights

Donate to Maoj's 47th Birthday Fundraiser!