To our fellow unionists, activists and human rights defenders

On behalf of the men and women of COURAGE, the national center of government employees known for its militante, progresibo at makabayang unyonismo (MPMU), we make this appeal.

In a span of less than two months, our leaders from the employees’ union National Food Authority, National Housing Authority, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Department of Labor and Employment, Metro Manila Development Authority and Quezon City Government all received poison letters or unwelcomed visits, in their homes and offices from unidentified people in plain clothes who introduced themselves as military and police agents.

They were identified as leaders and members of the communist movement. Despite their insistence of being members of legal and democratic mass organizations of employees, these state agents directly threatened that should they refuse to cooperate and divulge information to them, they have nobody but themselves to blame should bad things befell them.

We brought our case to the Commission on Human Rights last June 8, 2015 hoping to put a stop to these harassment and threats. But within weeks, COURAGE National Staff and Organizers suffered the same fate. We were being monitored, our movements being followed. We see them every single day as we travel from our homes to COURAGE National Office and to the government agencies where we do our union organizing work.

These COURAGE National Office Staff and Organizers are men and women who have chosen to live a simple life so that the workers may get their rightful share of their labor and the people, especially the poor and the marginalized may get the social services they badly needed.

We are in very precarious situation. We see a pattern of systematic attack aimed to dissipate progressive public sector unionism. We have documented more than 20 cases in the past two months alone.

We fear another case similar to the COURAGE 2, Randy Vegas and Raul Camposano, our national organizers who were illegally arrested and detained on trumped-up charges. They have been languishing in Camarines Norte Provincial Jail since 2012. Or worst, another round of extra judicial killings that marked the Gloria Arroyo Regime.

We implore that you take a stand and issue a statement against these escalating attacks on our unionists and activists. We ask our progressive Partylist Representatives to speak on the matter, conduct an Inquiry etc. We ask for your courage for COURAGE.

For the employees and the public,
(SGD.) FERDINAND R. GAITE
NATIONAL PRESIDENT, COURAGE

On June 25, 2015, Health Action for Human Rights (HAHR) joins the Council for Health and Development (CHD) in a press conference at the Max Restaurant, Quezon Avenue, Quezon City to condemn the brutal murder, by suspected state elements, of Barangay Health Worker (BHW) Rosalie “Saling” Calago and her husband Barangay Kagawad and community leader Endric “Bayoto” Calago last May 24, 2015 at Sitio Bantayan, Barangay Tacpao, Guihulngan, Negros Oriental.

According to Dr. Magdalena Barcelon of CHD, “The couple was strafed by bullets, and their bodies scorched inside their home at around 10:00 PM by suspected elements of the 11th Infantry Battalion based in Brgy. Mckinley, Guihulngan City. This is the latest in a series of brazen attacks against health workers involving the AFP and a testament to its long history of human rights violations.”

Aside from being a BHW, Saling, 45 years old, is also a Barangay Nutrition Scholar, a barefoot reporter of local radio programs Kaling Kag Tugda and Pugasan in Negros and Cebu, and a supporter of Community Health Workers (CHWs) in their locality. Bayoto, 47, is a Barangay Kagawad (village official) and Vice-Chairperson of Kaugmaon-Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas. The couple are also members of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

Dr. Edelina dela Paz of HAHR explains that, “Health professionals, health workers, and health advocates such as the Calago couple dedicate their whole time and effort in order to serve the masses, especially in our country where adequate health services are inaccessible to the poor and the far-flung areas. This is why it is unacceptable that military elements continue to commit such heinous crimes against healthcare providers yet they remain unpunished. The government refuses to neither condemn nor investigate human rights abuses committed by the AFP.”

HAHR has tallied several cases of violations committed by the AFP and its paramilitary forces. In Manila, health advocates are accused of being armed, and portrayed by the police as ‘enemies of the state’. In Samar, a 70-personnel medical mission team for Typhoon Yolanda survivors was repeatedly shadowed by military forces which scared-away the civilians from availing the services. At least 50 community health professionals and workers were subjected to harassment, threats, illegal arrests, or filed trumped-up charges in Baguio, Cabanatuan, Cebu, Bukidnon, and Zamboanga. In Negros, Misamis Oriental, Davao, and CARAGA, frustrated murders and extrajudicial killings, at least 6 cases, were committed since 2006 against CHWs who simply stood-up for their rights, but neither suspect nor perpetrator has been prosecuted.

In the light of the incident on the Calago couple, HAHR and CHD challenge the Department of Health (DOH) and the Aquino administration to conduct an impartial, thorough, and speedy investigation so that justice may be served and the people behind the crime will be punished to the fullest extent of the law.

Likewise, HAHR and CHD challenge the DOH and the Aquino administration to protect the rights of its people including the health workers.

“Under fire, we, health workers pledge to strengthen our commitment to serving the masses, and fortify the struggle to achieve just and lasting peace in pursuit of the people’s health and human rights. Hopefully, all of these will redound to achieving justice and end the culture of impunity in the Philippines”, concluded Dr. Barcelon.

References:
Magdalena Barcelon, M.D.
Chairperson, Board of Trustees
Council for Health and Development
+63915-3785958

Edelina dela Paz, M.D,
Vice President
Health Action for Human Rights
+639178113298; (02) 921 0586
Email: hahr.net@yahoo.com

The Ecumenical Advocacy Network on the Philippines (EANP) has just published the report, “The Path to Promotion in the Armed Forces Philippines: Vilification Campaigns, Human Rights Abuses, and Impunity”.

The document describes how several top general officers who have led units that are at the center of widespread human rights violations, in some cases in charge of units that committed abuses, were rewarded with promotions by President Aquino in 2014.  Each were promoted to key command positions to head up combined Infantry and Air Force Divisions, where troops under their command have continued to engage in gross violations of human rights of both individual civilians and local communities more generally, or otherwise engaged in activities with a flagrant disregard for fundamental human rights of those in the area of their operations.

This has serious implications for continuing military assistance to the Armed Forces Philippines (AFP).  Since 2008, The US Government has imposed human rights conditions on Foreign Military Financing (FMF) in response to the escalation of extra-judicial executions, enforced disappearances, and torture committed by members of the AFP or security forces under their command.  For fiscal year 2015,  one of the conditions directs that funds under Foreign Military Financing Program should only be obligated for assistance for the Philippine Army if the Government of the Philippines is implementing a policy of promoting army personnel who demonstrate professionalism and respect for human rights. The promotion of military officers who commit  human rights violations contradicts that condition.

The report describes four case studies describing in detail how each has risen to leadership through their service in units responsible for a campaign of extra-judicial killings, disappearances and illegal detentions.

http://www.karapatan.org/US-based+org+says+promotion+of+generals+with+rights+violation+leads+to+impunity

For more information, contact the following EANP members:
Brian Campbell, bptcampbell@gmail.com, (202) 701-3021
Paul Bloom, prb@umn.edu, (651) 646-1985
Tim McGloin, timlinmcg@msn.com, 919-475-0725

Ecumenical Advocacy Network on the Philippines
P.O. Box 51844
Durham, NC 27717
email:  eanp2007@email.com
Ph:  919-475-0725, 651-646-1985

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PUBLIC INFORMATION DESK
publicinfo@karapatan.org
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Alliance for the Advancement of People’s Rights
2nd Flr. Erythrina Building
#1 Maaralin corner Matatag Streets
Central District, Diliman
Quezon City, PHILIPPINES 1101
Telefax: (+63 2) 4354146
Web: http://www.karapatan.org

KARAPATAN is an alliance of human rights organizations and programs, human rights desks and committees of people’s organizations, and individual advocates committed to the defense and promotion of people’s rights and civil liberties.  It monitors and documents cases of human rights violations, assists and defends victims and conducts education, training and campaign. 

On the occasion of June 12, Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN) calls on the Filipino people to stand in defense of national sovereignty and territorial integrity against the foreign powers that seek to tear the Philippines apart. Today we are reminded that the Philippines is not truly free.

DAVAO CITY – The abrupt closure of a packing plant (PP 90) owned by Japanese company Sumitomo Fruits Corporation (SUMIFRU) in Brgy. Siocon, Compostela, Compostela Valley and the subsequent dismissal of around 120 banana packing plant workers prompted a strike declaration by Nagkahiusang Mamumuo sa Suyapa Farm – National Federation of Labor Unions – Kilusang Mayo Uno (NAMASUFA-NAFLU-KMU). NAMASUFA-NAFLU-KMU represents the rank and file workers of Packing Plant 90. The union declared a strike on June 10 due to union busting.

The strike came on the heels of an initial victory scored by workers belonging to eleven (11) SUMIFRU-owned packing plants in the Compostela area against the implementation of the unjust piece-rate wage scheme forced by SUMIFRU on all its packing plants on March 23. A compromise agreement was signed on April 22, laying down, among others, the immediate revocation of the piece rate scheme as well as the provision on “no retaliatory actions against parties.”

According to Vicente Barrios, president of NAMASUFA-NAFLU-KMU, the illegal lockout and dismissal is clearly an act of retaliation by SUMIFRU and a violation of the April 22 settlement.

On June 1, PP 90 was padlocked due to an alleged rent dispute between the landowner and SUMIFRU. On June 3, PP 90 workers were told to report for work on a nearby mini packing unit (MPU 230-A) pending resolution of the rent issue between the company and the landowner. However, on June 8, company guards suddenly turned them away at the gate upon the management’s orders.

“We condemn SUMIFRU for betraying the agreed-upon terms of the settlement it signed on April 22. This is clearly an act of retaliation done en masse against the workers who united against the piece rate scheme. We know that SUMIFRU’s grand design in Compostela and all other SUMIFRU plantations in Mindanao is to wipe out genuine unions so that they can extract profits by subjecting workers to all forms of exploitation, including the piece rate scheme,” explained Barrios.

Barrios warned SUMIFRU that the unions will not back down despite its repeated attempts to bust them.

“SUMIFRU has tried and failed several times over to bust the unions here in Compostela. In 2012, it dismissed all the workers of two packing plants by concocting a story that we deliberately damaged the produce through metal insertions. The company failed to prove this and we were reinstated. SUMIFRU’s incessant scheming shows that it is an incorrigible union buster and deserves the workers’ and the people’s utmost condemnation,” Barrios added.

In sympathy with the NAMASUFA strike, workers of Packing Plant 92 Workers Union did not report for work while workers from other packing plants (95, 370, 340) have already conducted slowdowns in order to pressure SUMIFRU to resolve the current labor dispute. SUMIFRU unions in Compostela are federated under the National Federation of Labor Unions – Kilusang Mayo Uno (NAFLU-KMU). At present, operations at PP 92 have been completely paralyzed.

NAMASUFA-NAFLU-KMU demands the following: 1) Reinstatement of all regular and temporary workers of Packing Plant 90; 2) Payment of backwages for dismissed workers of PP 90; and 3) Payment of backwages for workers of PP 92 who did not report for work in sympathy with the PP 90 workers.

Reference:
Vicente Barrios
president, NAMASUFA-NAFLU-KMU
+63907 325 6622

Sylvia Lumiguid
president, PP 92 Workers Union
+63930 186 3579

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Unyon ng mga Manggagawa sa Agrikultura
(Agricultural Workers Union)
Philippines

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