By ANTHONY IAN CRUZ
Malaya
January 7, 2008
THE Philippines has become “the Asian country with the worst record of violence against trade unionists” and as “the new Colombia of Asia,” according the International Trade Union Confederation.
In its 2007 Annual Survey of Violations of Trade Unions Rights, the ITUC rebuked the Philippines over the murder of 33 trade unionists in what it described as “an orgy of extrajudicial violence.”
It said up to three labor leaders are killed every month in the Philippines.
The number of slain Filipino unionists was 89 percent of 37 listed in the Asia and the Pacific, and 23 percent of the global total of 144, said the ITUC.
Colombia continues to hold the record of the world’s most murderous country for labor leaders and trade unionists, with 78 listed in the latest ITUC survey.
Founded in November 2006, the ITUC is the latest international organization to condemn extrajudicial executions in the Philippines.
It represents 168 million workers in 153 countries and territories and has 305 national affiliates.
The ITUC echoed the findings of local human rights watchdog Karapatan and Amnesty International when it said “top government officials and high ranking army officers have publicly branded trade union leaders and civil society representatives belonging to progressive movements as ‘communists’ and ‘enemies of the nation,’ a pretext used to justify the violence against them.”
It said “little was done” by President Arroyo “to denounce or take action against suspected involvement of police and army officials in the continuing extrajudicial killings and violence.”
“Not a single person had been convicted of any of the extrajudicial killings of hundreds of persons, including dozens of trade union leaders and activists, since 2001,” said the ITUC.
“The climate of impunity in the Philippines has further undermined any chance of ensuring the proper application of labor legislation, as demonstrated by the alarming number of trade unionists intimidated, abducted and tortured,” said the ITUC.
The ITUC also cited a study of the Center for Trade Union and Human Rights that documented 130 incidents of trade union rights violations, affecting 220 individuals.
It also assailed the harassment of trade union lawyers belonging to the Pro-Labor Legal Assistance Center (PLACE).
At the House of Representatives, Anakpawis Rep. Crispin Beltran and four other solons have filed House Resolution 299 calling for an investigation into the ITUC report.