The mission aims to investigate the recent spates of killing and harassment of labor and trade union leaders in the Philippines. Last year, according to the Kilusang Mayo Uno, 31 leaders, members and sympathizers of labor unions were murdered around the country.
By Cheryll D. Fiel
davaotoday.com
DAVAO CITY Delegates from several countries arrived in Davao City on Tuesday and are set to investigate this week the alleged harassments by the military of union leaders and members in Southern Mindanao. They would also look into reported violations of workers rights and welfare in banana plantations.
Some 36 delegates, several of them from other countries, paid a courtesy call to Mayor Rodrigo Duterte early in the day; he assured them that they would be safe in the region, and even gave them his mobile phone number in case they are stopped in military checkpoints in Compostela Valley province, where they are scheduled to do ocular inspections of banana plantations.
Duterte told the delegates to tell the soldiers, who have figured in incidents against plantation workers, that they were his visitors. If you are detained by communists, tell them the mayor will get mad if they did that, Duterte told the delegates in jest.
The so-called international solidarity mission, which was organized by Filipino labor groups, brought into the Philippines delegates from Australia, Bangladesh, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Japan, Nepal, New Zealand, South Korea, Taiwan and the Unites States.
The mission aims to investigate the recent spates of killing and harassment of labor and trade union leaders in the Philippines. Last year, according to the Kilusang Mayo Uno, 31 leaders, members and sympathizers of labor unions were murdered around the country.
Separate teams from the mission will visit known as hot spots of political and trade-union repression, including Pampanga, Tarlac, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, sugarcane haciendas in Negros Occidental and the Davao provinces.
The Southern Mindanao team is composed of delegates from Australia, Canada, South Korea and Taiwan as well as Filipino unionists. After their meeting with Duterte, they proceeded to Compostela town in Compostela Valley to investigate reports of harassment of local union leaders of the Nagkahiusang Mamumuo sa Osmiguel (Namaos).
Namaos workers are involved in banana packaging for export. According to initial reports provided by officials of the Namaos union, harassment by the military started in 2004, when elements of the 36th IB interrogated workers about their involvement in the union. The troops also confiscated the original copy of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) of the union.
In 2005, the workers were told by the soldiers from the 28th IB not to attend and participate at union meetings. The soldiers also removed and burned streamers of Namaos, the group said.
The presence of foreign participants in the fact-finding mission will help generate public pressure on the part of Philippine government to act on the cases of killings and to put a stop to the human rights violations being committed, said Paul Quintos, a convenor of the mission. (Cheryll D. Fiel/davaotoday.com)
