Groups to DOJ: Remove Japanese unionist from black list order

MANILA, Philippines - A labor group coalition on Friday called on Justice Secretary Leila de Lima to review the Black List Order (BLO) following the mistreatment of a Japanese trade unionist upon arrival at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Wednesday afternoon.

 

Labor coalition Nagkaisa also scored the personnel of the Bureau of Immigration for violating the rights of trade unionist Katsuhiro Sato.

 

"The biggest coalition of labor groups and workers’ organization the Nagkaisa condemns the unjust, irresponsible, grave abuse of authority, and gross violation of basic human right to free movement, free assembly and right to free expression committed by the Bureau of Immigration in the implementation of its BLO following the illegal detention and deportation of trade unionist Katsuhiro Sato," the coalition statement said.

 

Allan Tanjusay of the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) said Sato is a member of the executive committee of Jichiro, the largest umbrella organization of local government unions in Japan.

 

"Upon reaching the Immigration counter, he was set aside, held and put under deportation proceedings on the whimsical basis of his joining international solidarity on free expression and free assembly in Manila toward one-sided ADB (Asian Development Bank) policies in 2012," Tanjusay said.

 

"We call on the Department of Justice for the immediate removal of the name of Mr. Sato and all identified trade unionists in the BLO. In the same breath, it is also high time for DOJ Secretary Leila De Lima to conduct an immediate tripartite review of the criteria used in the qualification and the manner by which the BLO is implemented," he added.