Labor Center slams BID blacklist, calls it witch hunting

The Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) Labor Center slammed the Bureau of Immigration and Deportation (BID) blacklist labeling more than 500 foreigners as “terrorists” linked to Al-Qaeda and banning them from entering the country, including United States of America (USA) -based Atty. Brian Campbell and his organization, the Washington-based International Labor Rights Forum (ILRF).

“This is a stark reminder on how the Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo regime vilifies legitimate political dissent by tagging organizations and persons as terrorist to justify persecution. Since 2001, this has been the direction of the regime against Filipino workers and activists but now, even foreigners are at the receiving end of the regimes witch hunt. We demand the blacklist be immediately revoked,” said Elmer “Ka Bong” Labog, National Chairperson of the KMU.

According to the Human Rights Watch, members of the ILRF, including the Church World Service, the Methodist Church General Board of Church and Society, the National Lawyers Guild and the Center for Constitutional Rights are banned from entering the Philippines along with 504 persons who were also blacklisted. Last August 2007, 3 US-based women activists, also known as the GABNET-3, were barred from returning to the US after attending the 10th bi-annual Women’s International Solidarity Affair in the Philippines (WISAP) because they were blacklisted by the BID.

“The acts of the BID underscore the fear of those opposed to the Anti-terror law since it will be used to persecute political opponents of the regime under the guise of fighting terrorism. The ILRF and Atty. Campbell has been targeted because they continue to fight for labor and human rights in the Philippines and have successfully lobbied in the US against the policies of the Arroyo regime. Atty. Campbell has already been deported during the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) meeting last year ,” said Labog. The ILRF recently filed a requests to review eligibility of the Philippines in the US General System of Preferences (GSP) because of the bloody human rights record of the Arroyo regime.

“This is clearly an attempt to pressure the various human rights organization who are actively campaigning against the continued political killings and enforced disappearances in the country. But the effects of this is far reaching since these organizations and individuals are being tagged as terrorist and other countries, who do not see eye-to-eye with the advocacies they promote, might do the same. This is not the first time Atty. Campbell was placed on the blacklist He was deported during the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) meeting last year,” opined Labog.

According to Labog, undermining democratic pillars, like dissent are hallmarks of regimes despised by the people. “The similarities between the Arroyo regime and the Generals of Myanmar are impressive. The Myanmar Generals violently suppressed the Burmese monks and civilians and called it 'restoring normalcy' while this regime vilifies and physically eliminate political opposition and declare it as 'war on terror.' Foreign journalists are banned from Myanmar while foreign human rights activists are banned from entering the Philippines to suppress the truth,” ended Labog.