MANILA (Mindanao Examiner / 1 June) – Political activists and progressive party list groups allied with the labor union Kilusang Mayo Uno demanded immediate the release of a detained militant lawmaker following a decision Friday by the Philippines’ Supreme Court junking rebellion charges against the politician and five others solons.
Rep. Crispin Beltran, also known as “Ka Bel” (Comrade Bel) is facing rebellion charges and currently under medical care at the Philippine Heart Center.
Aside from Beltran, the government also charged Reps. Saturnino Ocampo, Liza Masa, Rafael Mariano, Teodoro Casiño and Joel Virador.
“The decision of the Supreme Court affirmed the innocence of Ka Bel and that he must be freed right now and not a moment must be wasted. It took more than a year of campaigning for Ka Bel’s freedom and justice can never be sweeter than this,” Elmer Labog, of the KMU, said in a statement sent to the independent regional newspaper, the Mindanao Examiner.
Labog said: “Since the case has been dropped, there’s no reason for his continued detention. The pressure was just too much and something had to break. Various organizations here and around the world, including the Amnesty International and the Inter-parliamentary Union, condemned the illegal arrest of Ka Bel.”
Beltran has been under detention for more than a year now. (Mindanao Examiner)
Showing posts with label Militants. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Militants. Show all posts
Friday, June 01, 2007
Monday, December 11, 2006
Filipino Labor Leader Killed, 2 Others Wounded In Ambush
CAVITE PROVINCE - Barely six months after a failed ambush of EMI-Yazaki Workers’ Union president Gerry Cristobal, his successor was killed Monday morning just outside the company in Imus town in Cavite province, southwest of Manila, the International Labor and Solidarity Mission Philippines reported.
It said labor leader and organizer Jesus Butch Servida just came out from Gate 2 of EMI-Yazaki when motorcycle men, armed with .45-caliber pistols, shot and killed him.
Two of his co-workers were also wounded. Joel Sali and a still unidentified companion were brought to the hospital. The motive of the attack was unknown, but militant groups blamed authorities for the killing.
Servida assumed presidency of the 7,000-strong EMI-Yazaki Workers’ Union after the failed assassination of union president Gerry Cristobal on May 1.Cristobal was later terminated from his job for a still unknown reason.
The militant group, Pagkakaisa ng Manggagawa sa Timog Katagalugan (PAMANTIK-KMU or Solidarity of Workers in Southern Tagalog), condemned Servida’s killing and the attack on 2 other unionists.
“The government has done nothing to look into the matter of all these killings of union leaders and members. Ironically, it has even gone worse in the past weeks and months,” said Luz Baculo, PAMANTIK secretary-general.
The group accused the police and military as behind the shooting. Officials were not immediately available to dispute the allegations.
It said labor leader and organizer Jesus Butch Servida just came out from Gate 2 of EMI-Yazaki when motorcycle men, armed with .45-caliber pistols, shot and killed him.
Two of his co-workers were also wounded. Joel Sali and a still unidentified companion were brought to the hospital. The motive of the attack was unknown, but militant groups blamed authorities for the killing.
Servida assumed presidency of the 7,000-strong EMI-Yazaki Workers’ Union after the failed assassination of union president Gerry Cristobal on May 1.Cristobal was later terminated from his job for a still unknown reason.
The militant group, Pagkakaisa ng Manggagawa sa Timog Katagalugan (PAMANTIK-KMU or Solidarity of Workers in Southern Tagalog), condemned Servida’s killing and the attack on 2 other unionists.
“The government has done nothing to look into the matter of all these killings of union leaders and members. Ironically, it has even gone worse in the past weeks and months,” said Luz Baculo, PAMANTIK secretary-general.
The group accused the police and military as behind the shooting. Officials were not immediately available to dispute the allegations.
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