MANILA, Philippines — A labor coalition on Monday called for immediate government action on the continued killing of trade leaders, following the death of Dandy Miguel in Laguna on Sunday night.
“Killing trade unionists is abhorable and has no place in a civilized society. Worse, this barbarity is now happening on a regular basis. Enough! These killings must be stopped immediately,” labor group Nagkaisa said in a statement.
Miguel was shot dead in Canlubang, Calamba, Laguna on Sunday night. He was on his way home when he was attacked. Groups reported he was shot eight times.
The killing three weeks after the bloody Calabarzon raids that left nine activists dead. The murder also happened as Laguna, Cavite, Rizal, Bulacan and Metro Manila returns to stricter quarantine protocols, with police-manned checkpoints, under enhanced community quarantine.
Defend Southern Tagalog, in a separate statement, said Miguel and Pagkakaisa ng Manggagawa sa Timog Katagalugan-Kilusang Mayo Uno (Pamantik-KMU), where the victim was the vice-chairperson, have been red-tagged. Labor union leaders have also faced threats and harassment.
Although the perpetrators have yet to be identified, Defend ST spokesperson Charm Maranan said the State “is directly or indirectly responsible in the killing. The group said those who perpetrate red-tagging in the Calabarzon region should also be held accountable “as accomplices” in the murder of Miguel.
“Hindi iwas sina [Lt. Gen. Antonio Parlade, Armed Forces of the Philippines Southern Luzon commander, police chief Debold Sinas and Calabarzon police chief Felipe Natividad] dito. Direkta nilang pinahamak si Pangulong Dandy dahil sa mga pahayag nila at sa kultura ng karahasan na sila rin mismo ang bumuo,” Maranan added.
(Parlade, Sinas and Natividad are not spared from this. They directly harmed Miguel because of their statements and the culture of violence they created.)
DOJ probe?
Nagkaisa stressed that since the start of the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte, more than 50 trade union leaders and organizers have been gunned down.
“We remind the authorities of its responsibility to investigate, prosecute and convict the authors of these atrocities,” the group said as it called on the Department of Justice’s Administrative Order 35 committee to immediately investigate the incident.
AO 35 created the Inter-agency Committee on Extra-legal Killings, Enforced Disappearance, Torture and Other Grave Violations of the Right to Life, Liberty and Security of Persons, which is chaired by the justice secretary.
Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said the committee will make a preliminary assessment on whether the killing of Miguel falls under it.
“If there’s any indication that Miguel’s death had something to do with his being a labor leader, the AO 35 committee will include his case for investigation,” he added.
Despite the enforced enhanced community quarantine in Laguna, Guevarra assured that the committee’s preliminary assessment will proceed, and results may be reached within the week.
The DOJ was set to make an inventory of cases the AO 35 committee is investigating, including the murders of peace consultant Randy Echanis and Karapatan paralegal Zara Alvarez, but Guevarra said the spike of COVID-19 cases last week in the department delayed this.
“We’ll do the update after the meeting in April,” he said.
Nagkaisa also called on Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III to “publicly denounce what is clearly a systematic campaign to eliminate trade union leaders.”
“His deepening silence for far too long makes him complicit to this heinous campaign,” they added.