Labor leader slain in Laguna attack

CAMP VICENTE LIM, Laguna, Philippines — A labor leader was killed in an attack by motorcycle-riding assailants in Calamba in this province on Sunday night.

Dandy Miguel, 30, vice chairman of Pagkakaisa ng Manggagawa sa Timog Katagalugan-Kilusang Mayo Uno (Pamantik-KMU), was on his way home on a motorcycle when the assailants waylaid him at around 8:45 p.m. along Kapayapaan Road in Barangay Canlubang.

Miguel, who was also the president of the Lakas ng Magkakaisang Manggagawa sa Fuji Electric Philippines, died at the scene from eight gunshot wounds in the body, according to Maj. Mary Ann Torres, spokesperson for the Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon) police.

Probers have yet to determine the motive for the killing, which occurred three weeks after the Bloody Sunday incident, wherein nine activists were shot dead in simultaneous police operations in Batangas, Laguna and Rizal.

Miguel joined his fellow union leaders and the relatives of the Bloody Sunday victims in filing complaints before the Commission on Human Rights on March 15.

The Pamantik-KMU said Miguel’s killing was the latest in a string of brutal attacks on leaders and members of organizations that had been red-tagged or linked to communist rebels by the police and the military.

Assessment

Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said they would assess this week if Miguel’s murder was related to his work as a labor leader.

Guevarra said they would determine if the case falls under Administrative Order 35 (AO 35) Task Force, which investigates cases of extrajudicial killings.

“We’ll do a preliminary assessment first. If there’s any indication that his death had something to do with his being a labor leader, the AO 35 Committee will include his case for investigation,” Guevarra said.

He said there’s a possibility that they could complete the assessment within this week.

The same assessment method was used in the case of the nine slain activists before the AO 35 Committee ordered the task force to investigate the incidents, Guevarra said.

“The AO 35 Committee’s schedule last week was postponed due to a rash of COVID cases at the Department of Justice. We’ll do the update after the meeting in April,” he said.

Meanwhile, rights group Karapatan denounced the killing of Miguel.

The group described the incident as a direct violation of workers’ right to organize unions and exercise their freedom of association.