Near-death motorcycle stories and other testimonies at the Int’l Labor Org’s meeting with KMU

They were nearly killed. But they still went out, risked their security, and trooped to the International Labor Organization’s (ILO) Manila office to testify on how the Arroyo regime threatened their lives and ruined the lives of many fellow workers. They really expect something substantial to come out of ILO’s first-ever mission to the Philippines to investigate the spate of trade union rights violations.

KMU leaders from various provinces yesterday met with ILO representatives who will be in the country this September 22-30 to conduct a High-level Fact-Finding Mission on workers’ rights repression, in response to the complaint filed by KMU in 2006. They will also meet with representatives of government and employers’ groups.

Vicente Barrios, president of the union in Suyafa Farm banana plantation in Compostela Valley, Mindanao, suffered two gunshot wounds when he and his companions were shot at by unidentified men riding a motorcycle in December 2006. His fellow union member Jerson Lastimoso was killed. A few months earlier, two armed men broke into Barrios’ residence. He hid in his bedroom, and the trespassers were not able to harm him physically. Until now, Barrios notices armed men trailing behind him.

Nicanor Briones, Camarines Sur president of National Federation of Sugar Workers (NFSW-KMU), sustained 5 gunshot wounds when two armed men riding a motorcycle fired at him. Briones had just joined a people’s caravan against Arroyo’s Charter Change and political repression when the incident happened.

Joel Ascutia, chairperson of Pinag-Isang Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Operator Nation-wide (PISTON-KMU) in Bicol was in the middle of preparing for the nation-wide transport strike last July 13 when he was shot. It was still before daybreak when a man riding a motorcycle stopped at their strike center and shot him 5 times.

“The Philippines is really one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a labor leader, an active union member, and a labor advocate,” said KMU Chairperson Elmer “Bong” Labog in his speech before the ILO.

“With our testimonies yesterday in front of the ILO representatives, we hope that we have shown that trade union repression happened in all parts of the country where there is militant and nationalist trade unionism. This could only point to the fact that there is a national campaign, based on a national policy, of crushing and wiping out militant and nationalist trade unionism in the country.”

Witnesses and co-workers of victims said they hope the ILO representatives will recommend the prosecution of members of government agencies, especially the military, who took part in the attacks against workers.

Click here for more stories and other pertinent information on the ILO campaign.