The Service Employees International Union (SEIU), the 2.2-million strong union of American workers in health care and in public and property services, has written the US State Department to express concern over the illegal detention and degrading treatment of the Morong 43 and to demand for their immediate release.

In a letter to US  Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian Affairs, SEIU international Andrew L. Stern, said the 43 health workers “should be released unless the police obtain valid, legally obtained evidence that merits their being arrested in accordance with Filipino law.”

“This is only the latest example of violations of due process by law enforcement and military forces in the Philippines. As a union representing a significant number of Filipino American health workers, we are particularly concerned with this case,” said the leader of one of the most influential US labor unions.

Here is a copy of the SEIU letter:

SEIU letter on arrest and detention of 43 health workers in the Philippines