Filing petition for Writs of Amparo And Habeas Data for Atty. Rey Gorgonio and Development Workers in Negros

On March 5, 2026, the National Union of People’s Lawyers (NUPL), Atty. Rey Gorgonio, and the development workers of Paghidaet sa Kauswagan Development Group (PDG), accompanied by members of the Defend NGOs Alliance filed a petition for a Writ of Amparo and Habeas Data at the Manila Supreme Court to seek protection from persisting death threats and surveillance made by suspected military elements.

Atty. Rey Gorgonio along with development workers of Paghidaet sa Kauswagan Development Group (PDG) have been a target of harassment, intimidation, and coercion by military elements. These attacks are linked to the vilification of Atty. Gorgonio and PDG’s service towards the farmers and marginalized communities of Negros, Occidental. The petitioners invoke the Supreme Court’s involvement in halting these violations and to compel military elements to abide by the Rules on the Writ of Amparo and the Writ of Habeas Data.

The incidents cited in the petition reveal a broad pattern of weaponizing counter-terrorism laws and measures against human rights defenders and development workers. We assert the legitimacy of development work and call an end to these attacks on human rights.###