Labor law office still under tight surveillance

The Pro-Labor Legal Assistance Center (PLACE) staff members reported round-the-clock surveillance of their office since Tuesday October 16, 2007 by burly, military-looking men. The staffers of PLACE raised suspicion of the surveillance when they monitored that since Tuesday, shady persons took turns staring at their office for hours and various heavily-tinted vans parking in front of their office located at E. Rodriguez Avenue corner D. Tuazon in Quezon City.

“We are very worried about this situation. This is not the first time lawyers and staffers from PLACE experienced intense surveillance. Last October 5, 2006, two men riding a Honda XRM motorcycle with plate number NA 7258 followed members of PLACE from their office at Quezon City to the Food Terminal Incorporated (FTI) in Taguig. Now they are at it again and these incidents, at the very least, are clear efforts of harassment of lawyers and paralegal personnels who are taking up various labor cases, including the case of the Hacienda Luisita massacre, where at least 7 workers were killed by joint elements of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police,” said Elmer “Ka Bong” Labog, National Chairperson of the Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) Labor Center.

One of the staff reported that last Thursday, October 18, 2007, after flagging a public utility jeep headed for Cubao in front of their office, she heard a man talking to a radio and mentioned “Cubao”, the place she was heading to. She also observed the man had a big bulge at his waist line similar to an outline of a pistol.

According to Labog, PLACE is also one of the petitioners against the Human Security Law or the Anti-Terror law being tackled at the Supreme Court. “Aside from being a co-petitioner against the Anti-Terror law, lawyers of PLACE also provided legal advice when the KMU filed a complaint to the International Labour Office (ILO) based in Geneva, Switzerland against the Trade and Human Rights Violations committed by the Arroyo regime. If anything untoward happens to lawyers and members of PLACE, we can only blame the Arroyo regime and their attack dogs.”

Labor Center extends condolences to bombing victims

The KMU extends their condolences to the victims of the explosion in Glorietta Mall in Makati. News report have confirmed at least 4 people died and scores were injured after a massive explosion occurred at around 1:00 pm today inside a restaurant located inside the mall.

“The cause of the incident must be comprehensively investigated and no stones must be left unturned,” ended Labog.