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Stop the killings! Stop the political repression!

Rev. Reynaldo Cortes
Spokesperson
National Coalition for the Protection of Workers’ Rights

October 11, 2005

The National Coalition for the Protection of Workers Rights (NCPWR) grievously condemns the successive killings of trade union leaders and workers as well as abduction, arrests, detention and the surveillance of leaders of workers and organizations. Three workers were killed on September alone.

On September 13 Dante Teotino of Schneider Packaging Workers Union was shot at the picket line of their factory while they were preparing for a symposium. On September 22, Diosdado “Ka Fort” Fortuna, President of Nestle Workers’ Union (United Filipro Employees) and PAMANTIK-KMU was shot dead in front of Sagara Plastics Manufacturing Co. A day after Ka Fort’s burial on September 30, Victoria “Vicky” Samonte, president of Andres Soriano College Employees Union and vice-president of KMU-CARAGA was stabbed dead. On October 7, Rolando Mariano, former President of Tarlac Electric Co. Employees Union and Bayan Muna Municipal Coordinator, was gunned down. On October 10, Tony Cuison, former KMU-Visayas Vice-Chairperson and former President of Atlas Mining were shot and is in critical condition.

“The initial investigation of organizations under NCPWR points that these killings and abductions were committed by members of the Philippine National Police and Armed Forces of the Philippines. Terrorism could not come from those who criticized these policies or from the ranks of the victims.” Cortes added. He said it could only come from those whose interests are threatened and in a position to carry out systematic killings.

It could be recalled that during the Congress inquiry on the Garci-gate scandal and Senate interrogation on Jueteng heated up calls for the resignation of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, the political killings momentarily ceased. However, after the failure of the impeachment case, the political killings continued. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s denies plans of Martial Rule and enforces war-on-terror yet terrorizes the people by these killings. GMA is desperately rushing the Congress approval of the Anti-Terrorism Bill.

“We condemn state fascism. President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, continuously threatened by the broad unity of sectors clamouring for her removal, implements a bloody horror of undeclared Martial Rule.” said Cortes. The Arroyo regime is responsible for the widespread killing of union leaders and members and ordinary workers nationwide. The NCPWR no longer wants another leader or worker dead, the count should end and justice should be served immediately.

The NCPWR calls on the House of Representatives to hold an immediate inquiry on political killings. The NCPWR will also lead the filing of cases against perpetrators at the Commission on Human Rights, International Labor Organizations and United Nations Human Rights Commission. The workers and the people will carry on protests demanding justice, including the boycott of Nestle products. Specific schedules will be announced later. #

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