MANILA, Philippines -- United Opposition president and Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay denounced the refusal of the military to grant the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) access to 43 health workers arrested in Rizal province over the weekend.

Binay also likened the detention of the 43 to mass arrests during the Marcos dictatorship.

?Is this a throwback to the dictatorship when even the quick response team (QTR) of the CHR, or even relatives of the arrested are not permitted to check on their condition?? Binay said in a statement on Monday.

Binay said the military violated the 43?s human rights and their right to counsel, both guaranteed under the Constitution.

On Saturday, the military rounded up the health workers in the rest house of Dr. Melencia Velmonte because of their alleged links with the communist New People?s Army.

Health groups claimed, however, that the detainees were participants in a training, and that Velmonte?s rest house has always been used as a seminar venue for community health workers.

Binay, who is running for vice president under the Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (Forces of the Filipino Masses), described the military operation as ?overkill? as raiders reportedly served bogus search and arrest warrants, threatened and blindfolded the health workers.

?This speaks of harassment, pure and simple. The sad part is that the defenseless and the innocent are the ones who always fall prey to this type of treatment,? Binay said.

Binay called on Maj. Gen. Jorge Segovia, commander of Army?s 2nd Infantry Division to allow the CHR and lawyers to visit the detainees or simply release them since the actions of his subordinates were ?illegal.?