We would like to clarify the false information about the Kilusang Mayo Uno that came out in Manila Bulletin’s two news articles, citing us as supporting presidential candidate Hermogenes Ebdane. 

Raymund Antonio’s “Labor groups back Ebdane,” which came out on Nov. 22, 2009, implicated KMU as supporting the candidate’s “advocacy on promoting and protecting workers’ rights and interest through ‘living wage’.” The article even said that “the KMU made it clear that they are in support of Ebdane’s presidential bid.” The sentence construction prepares us to read “not” before “in support” but “not” is nowhere in the sentence. 

Not content with one grave misquote, Antonio’s article two days after, “Another labor group backs Ebdane,” again referred to us as supporting Ebdane, with the lead “Labor groups’ support for presidential aspirant Hermogenes “Jun” Ebdane Jr. continued to snowball…”

Maricel Cruz, reporter of Commuter Express, a subsidiary of Manila Bulletin, was the one who interviewed our executive vice president Joselito Ustarez on Ebdane’s platform about supposedly providing living wage to workers.

While we are definitely for the granting of a living wage to workers, and have campaigned for it since our inception, KMU has not and will never support Ebdane’s presidential bid. While Mr. Ustarez said that some elements in Ebdane’s platform are positive for workers, he took great pains to explain the KMU’s generally negative appraisal of Ebdane. 

Instead of being faithful to Mr. Ustarez’ statements, however, it appears that the news report molded his statements to fit into a scheme of making Ebdane look like a viable presidential candidate for the 2010 elections. 

He is not. We see Ebdane as dirty player in the 2010 elections. He has long been an ally of the Arroyo administration in its fascist and anti-people practices. No wonder he doesn’t figure at all in the recent opinion polls. 

He was chief of the Philippine National Police from 2002 to 2004, a period when the labor and people’s movement experienced rampant political killings and gross human rights violations. He continued to play a crucial role in quelling the opposition to the Arroyo administration as National Security Adviser after his post in the PNP until 2005, and as Defense Secretary from February to July 2007.

Ebdane was then appointed secretary of the Department of Public Works and Highways, the most notorious department of the executive branch for corruption, in February 2005 up to this month. He has shown himself to be a reliable stooge of the Arroyo regime.

Recently, Ellen Tordesillas, the respected journalist and commentator, has speculated whether Ebdane’s candidacy has anything to do with laundering the billions of money Mrs. Arroyo and her family earned while she is in power. Her speculation deserves the Filipino workers and people’s serious consideration. 

We appeal to the editors of Manila Bulletin, and to those who may have published similar stories based on the falsely written articles mentioned above, to give prominent space to this due clarification. 

Thank you very much.