Workers picket DOJ, demand junking of trumped-up charges

With almost a week before the first International Labor Organization (ILO) probe on local trade union repression, members of militant labor center Kilusang Mayo Uno today picketed the Department of Justice to demand the junking of trumped-up charges against labor leaders and advocates.

Carrying blown-up information sheets of the fabricated charges, the workers protested what they called the “legal offensive” of the Arroyo administration against the labor movement. Almost 140 workers and labor advocates have been charged with criminal charges like arson and murder.

“The objective of the filing of these cases is clear: to weaken the trade union movement in the country by harassing labor leaders and advocates and sowing confusion and fear among the workers and Filipino people,” said Lito Ustarez, KMU executive vice president.

Ustarez is referring to two cases filed in Rizal (arson), a case in Batangas (arson) against 27 respondents, a case in Mindoro (murder and frustrated murder) against 72 respondents, a case in Quezon (arson and robbery), and a case in Cavite (grave coercion) against 33 respondents.

In addition, a murder case was filed against Bebot Borja, KMU leader in Eastern Visayas while a rebellion case was filed against Ronald Ian Evidente, KMU leader in Negros.

False accusations
“The cases are clearly based on false accusations,” said Ustarez. “At least one case are blaming the respondents for acts committed by the New People’s Army. Contrary to law, frustrated multiple murder and frustrated murder were lumped in another case.”
 
He said another case was filed only weeks after the respondents were released from being unjustly detained. Another was based on a testimony by a so-called witness who did not swear before a lawyer.

“There are bed-ridden diabetes patients who are included in the respondents. Worse, cases were filed against peole who are themselves victims of gross human rights violations,” Ustarez explains.

“These cases were filed to make the lives of the respondents miserable. Imagine the waste of energy and resources demanded by going to faraway provinces just to attend court hearings,” added Ustarez, citing the case of Atty. Remigio L. Saladero Jr., KMU’s legal counsel, who has to go to Mindoro, Rizal and Batangas to attend hearings.

ILO Mission
Ustarez welcomed the the first ILO High-Level Mission scheduled this coming Sept. 22-29, saying “it will call attention to how this regime has been using means both legal and illegal to attack the trade union movement.”

He said the “legal offensive” is part of the complaint submitted by the KMU to the ILO in 2006, which became the basis for the forthcoming fact-finding mission.

“We hope the ILO mission will inform the workers and people, both locally and abroad, about the situation of the Filipino workers under the Arroyo regime,” said Ustarez.