DAVAO CITY – Workers group Kilusang Mayo Uno condemned Friday the suppression of protests against the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit saying “the government defended those responsible for the country’s poverty and underdevelopment against the condemnation of workers and the poor.”
The group also said the Philippine National Police’s mulling of charges against protest leaders is “shameless”.
“Instead of respecting the Filipino workers’ and people’s right to assert that their demands be heard, the Aquino government responded with an overkill amount of force. It clearly sided with big capitalists and powerful governments against Filipinos,” said Jerome Adonis, KMU secretary-general.
Adonis said eight activists from the labor sector were wounded or seriously hurt or both in the protest last Thursday along Buendia Avenue in Pasay City, against which the police used truncheons.
Among those hurt were Steve Ranjo and Genero Paredog of the Pagkakaisa ng mga Samahan ng Tsuper at Operators Nationwide or PISTON and Bironico Pardillo, Nilo Juayang, Sonny Aguinaldo, and Allan Bacara, strikers of Golden Fortune Techno Built, Inc.
“Also wounded and seriously hurt were Bonifacio Cuello of the NXPSCI Workers’ Union and Rea Alegre, spokesperson of broad campaign network All Workers’ Unity. Ranjo and Alegre suffered head wounds after being hit by stones thrown from the ranks of the police,” said Adonis.
“We condemn the Aquino government and the PNP for their use of violence against protesters. We are studying the possibility of filing administrative charges against government and police officials involved before the Ombudsman,” Adonis added. (davaotoday.com)
