KMU alarms public over wave of criminal charging, gestapo arrests and detention of labor lawyer and leaders

Global Day of Action against Trade Union Repression today

In several parts of the world today, workers will unite against renewed and escalated repressions to the labor movement amid the panic of the capitalists due to the financial crisis.

In our country, a top labor lawyer, and a growing number of union leaders are slapped with trumped up criminal charges, arrested gestapo-like, and detained in prisons. The security of every worker is now under threat.

Today, KMU will alarm the public on this pressing threat to their life and liberties, and will bring the issue at the foot of Malacanang, to the chief labor persecutor herself  --- Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

According to Wilson Baldonaza, Kilusang Mayo Uno’s Secretary General, workers are more determined and pledged to struggle more amidst escalating trade union and political persecutions against them and the Filipino people in general.

“ Actually, we have experienced the worst during martial law when all our political and trade union rights were trampled but we  persevered to smash  the terror of the darkest days in our nation’s history. While many are saying that the repressions we are in to now are worse during Marcos dictatorship, we will not be cowed. We will fight back and justice will be served to us the soonest possible,” Baldonaza said.

Baldonaza also scoffed at the so called “ST 72 List”, wherein 13 KMU leaders were tagged as New People’s Army members and were hunted for arrest. Included in the list and were accosted by police and military elements recently are KMU chief legal counsel Atty. Remigio Saladero Jr. , worker organizer Arnaldo Seminiano and other labor advocates.

“ If the ongoing crackdown in the Southern Tagalog (ST) region displays the complicity among government forces, vicious capitalists and corrupt judges, then we have no recourse but to unite with the people who have the power to thwart their malevolence and injustices. We still believe that a people united will never be defeated. If they are out to suppress and exploit their wealth creator in any  means, they cannot decimate us easily. They will be defeated in the end,” he said.

The labor leader also registered that all the blood debts of the Macapagal-Arroyo regime, including the Hacienda Luisita Massacre that was brutally perpetrated by labor officials, military and police in 2004, will never be unpunished.