Arrested Anakpawis coordinator in Ormoc is a union leader, not a ranking NPA official -- KMU

Labor center Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) today condemned the illegal arrest of Vincent "Bebot" Borja, a member of KMU National Council and the labor group's regional coordinator in Eastern Visayas. Borja is also a coordinator of Anakpawis Party list.

KMU Executive Vice President Lito Ustarez said that Borja is a union leader and not a ranking official of the New People's Army as claimed by the military. "The illegal arrest and malicious tagging done against Borja is an evident act of political repression."

The labor leader said that Borja's arrest surpasses election-related political persecution. "This incident sets grounds for possible proscription of KMU, Anakpawis, Bayan Muna and other progressive groups and party lists as 'terrorists groups' and 'communist fronts'
by the military under Arroyo's Human Security Act."

Ustarez said that even before Borja became an Anakpawis coordinator, he is an employee and union leader at the Philippine National Oil Corporation (PNOC) in Leyte. "Borja served as Union Board Member of the PNOC Employees Union. Along with other union officers, he
represented the workers in Collective Bargaining Agreement with the PNOC management. He actively joined local workers' actions in PNOC,the latest was in 2001 when employees staged a labor strike following a deadlock in the CBA negotiations. He is not a neophyte to
harassments like this. Being an active union member, he experienced repression inside PNOC especially during violent dispersals of their strike from 2001-2004."

"He was terminated from employment along with all PNOC strikers after local courts declared the labor strike illegal. Their case is still under appeal with the Supreme Court," Ustarez further added.

After his dismissal at PNOC, Borja worked permanently with the National Federation of Labor Unions (NAFLU-KMU) and helped organized unions in Eastern Visayas. In 2005, he became the regional coordinator for Anakpawis Partylist. "His work in Leyte is focused on organizing unions and addressing workers issues. If organizing workers and campaigning for P125 wage increase is considered 'activities of the NPA' then we will not be surprised if the government brands all KMU members and supporters as NPAs," the labor leader concluded.