MANILA, Philippines - Survivors of a fire at the Kentex footwear factory are asking the help of incoming president Rodrigo Duterte in seeking justice for 72 co-workers killed in the blaze exactly a year ago yesterday.
Ammied Rada, Justice for Kentex Workers Alliance coordinator, said while they immediately filed charges against the factory’s owners with the Valenzuela prosecutor’s office, the case was transferred to the Department of Justice 10 months later.
“The respondents of the case are set to submit on May 20 their counter-affidavit, more than a year after the accident,” Rada said while noting that related cases they filed against Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz and former interior secretary Manuel Roxas II have yet to be acted upon.
Rada said after being ignored by the Aquino administration, they are turning to Duterte for justice.
“You promised to go after criminals and the corrupt. Please help us make those responsible for the deaths of so many Kentex workers answer for their crimes,” she said in Filipino.
Meanwhile, a group of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) also called on Duterte to hold accountable all officials of the Aquino administration who committed crimes while they are in power.
Migrante International chair Garry Martinez said Filipinos abroad are hopeful that the incoming Duterte government would immediately address the fundamental problems besetting the country, including unemployment, contractualization, low wages and forced migration.
“We are hoping that (you) will scrap the labor export policy that exploits our cheap labor and remittances but offers us nothing in return, especially in times of need. We will hold you to your promise to make OFWs your top-most priority in your labor agenda,” he said in a statement.