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A hard hitting preliminary report from a UNI-Asia Pacific fact-finding mission to the Philippines on the killing of trade unionists has blamed “state terrorism” for their deaths.

Since 2001, 87 workers, union members and organisers have been killed - yet there have been no thorough investigations and not a single killer has been caught and punished.

The preliminary report was endorsed at the UNI-Asia Pacific Executive meeting in Hanoi, Vietnam.

The mission - the first trade union led investigation - said it was shocked by testimonies given during its visit to the Philippines between 23-27 March of extra-judicial killings and gross violations of union and human rights.

“A dirty war is being waged in this country,” said the mission, giving its initial impressions from the testimonies they heard. “The primary responsibility for the gross violations and human rights rests with the government of the Philippines.”



Shafie Mohamed BP Mammal

UNI’s Philippines Liaison Council helped organise the mission, which was chaired by Mohamed Shafie BP Mammal, a UNI-Asia Pacific Vice President, with Luke Coxon from New Zealand and regional UNI staff member Kun Abyoto.

“We think there is a strong case against the authorities in the Philippines,” Shafie told the Executive. “Innocent people are being killed.”



Executive in session

“Some factories and whole communities are being militarised, in a counter insurgency campaign aimed at destroying the communist insurgency by 2010. Trade unionists are being labelled as terrorists when in fact they are the victims of state terrorism. They are being hunted down, forcing victims and their families to live in fear,” says the mission.

On 10 March the latest victim - Gerry Cristobal of Yazaki-EMI Cavite - was ambushed and gunned down in the middle of early morning traffic.

“There are cases of violent dispersal of strikes and organized protests and the use of military, police and private goons to harass and intimidate workers and unionists. Union members are systematically dismissed in attempts to stop union activities.”

The government of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo is accused of “implementing aggressive anti-labor policies in order to attract foreign investment”.

UNI is among those pressing the Arroyo government to drop its opposition to the International Labour Organisation recommendation of a high-level mission to the Philippines to investigate not only the killings but also massive violations of trade union rights.

Global unions are expected to raise the issue at the International Labour Conference in Geneva in June.



“It is very sad what is happening,” said mission chair Mohamed Shafie during the Executive meeting in Hanoi. “Politicians say one thing but what is happening on the ground is very different. We want the whole issue debated in Geneva to put strong pressure on the government of the Philippines.”

The report pays tribute to the commitment of heroic trade unionists in the Philippines who remain active in spite of the killings and other anti-union pressures.

“Despite the repression we have noted the commitment and perseverance of those trade unionists and workers who continue to fight and struggle for basic rights in their workplaces and social justice in their society, despite the risk to their lives. Their heroism is an inspiration to the international trade union movement,” says the fact-finding mission.

“We have to support the struggle of trade union leaders and activists in the Philippines, and on behalf of the victims,” Shafie told the Executive.



* Last August the UNI-Asia Pacific regional conference in Kuala Lumpur condemned the alarming increase in extra-judicial killings in the Philippines and expressed alarm at reports that elements of the Philippines military are involved in the killings.