Victims’ kin hold Arroyo regime responsible for attacks versus workers

Kin of slain and arrested workers asserted that the Arroyo regime is responsible for the extra-judicial killings and harassment of labor leaders in today’s Black Friday Protest against trade union repression.

The protest march to Mendiola, led by Kilusang Mayo Uno, was launched as part of the campaign to highlight violations of labor rights in the run-up to the International Labor Organization (ILO) high-level mission on Sept. 22-29.

Carrying the pictures of their loved ones, families and friends of the 92 slain union leaders and unionists since 2001 demanded justice for workers who suffered “state-sponsored” repression in their march to Mendiola.

“Today, we remind the Arroyo government and her armed forces of their atrocity against our loved ones. We also remind the public that workers have suffered repression under Arroyo that is far worse than under the Marcos dictatorship,” said the wife of slain labor leader Gerry Cristobal.

Cristobal, former union president in Cavite-based EMI-Yazaki, was shot dead on March 10 last year after surviving two murder attempts. The assassin in the first attempt was later identified as SPO1 Romeo Lara, bolstering suspicions that it is the police and the military that undertook the killings of labor leaders.

 “We hope that the upcoming mission will bring justice closer to the workers and expose the devious means by which the government crushes unions and other labor organizations,” said the wife of slain Nestle Cabuyao leader Diosdado “Ka Fort” Fortuna.

On his way home, Fortuna was shot dead by motorcycle-riding gunmen, which members of the local union suspect are hired personnel from the police and the military. He led the strike of workers in the Cabuyao plant to protest the illegal dismissal of workers and the refusal of Nestle Philippines to grant retirement benefits.

ILO representatives will conduct the probe on extra-judicial killings, harassment, red-tagging and slap suits against workers in response to a KMU complaint filed in 2006.

KMU said the killing of 92 labor leaders is the most gruesome attack on the labor movement and the clearest violation of ILO Convention 87 on the Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organize.

“By embarking on a killing spree against union leaders, the Arroyo regime has exposed its desperation to crush unions, which are supposed to be clear expressions of a vibrant democracy,” said KMU Chairperson Elmer “Bong” Labog.

“Through the ILO mission, workers and labor advocates will ensure that Arroyo will be held responsible for the grim record of trade union repression in the country. We will present evidences that will earn her regime the strongest condemnation locally and abroad,” he added. #