DAVAO CITY – Militant labor group, Kilusang Mayo Uno, backed a toxicologist who was charged with a case of “unprofessionalism” before the Professional Regulation Commission by the banana industry. The group said the case is a revived case that was already dismissed by the Department of Justice on November 2013.
In a statement, KMU said the case of “unprofessionalism,” which was reportedly filed by six residents of Hagonoy, Davao del Sur before the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) against Dr. Romeo Quijano “only revives a case that was filed by big capitalists in the banana industry against Quijano on the basis of an article written 16 years ago.”
“The case before the PRC uses accusations contained in falsification and libel cases filed by Lapanday Development Corp. (Ladeco) that were dismissed by the Department of Justice on November 2013. It appears that the Hagonoy residents were coerced by Ladeco into reviving the case,” said the group.
Quijano is a retired professor at the University of the Philippines-Manila’s Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology.
“The case’s revival shows the ruthlessness of big capitalists in the banana industry towards those who dare speak up against the negative effects of pesticides on agricultural workers, communities and the environment. These big capitalists want to stifle and demonize scholarly and scientific research in order to advance their selfish drive for bigger profits,” KMU said.
The group said big capitalists in the banana industry “clearly want to continue their harmful practice of aerially spraying pesticides and to further expand across Mindanao to the detriment of workers, communities and the environment.”
“We stand by Dr. Quijano and all advocates of workers’ occupational health and safety, of the health and safety of communities, and of the protection of the environment. We vow to continue to protest against those who harass Dr. Quijano and who spread poison that victimize workers, farmers and the environment,” the group said. (davaotoday.com)
