“Remulla, hinahamon ka namin: kung wala kang magagawa diyan sa DOJ, kung gusto mo lang proteksyunan ang mga makapangyarihan, ang mayayaman, Pwes, lumayas ka!
– Jerome Adonis, Kilusang Mayo Uno secretary general
On the DOJ’s dismissal of the cases against 17 police officers for the murder of labor activist Manny Asuncion.
“Hustisya para kay Manny Asuncion!”
As labor advocates demanded accountability in front of the Department of Justice (DOJ), Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) secretary general Jerome Adonis lambasted DOJ secretary Boying Remulla, due to the dismissal of the criminal case filed against 17 police officers over the brutal murder of labor leader Emmanuel “Manny” Asuncion.
Never Forget Bloody Sunday
On March 7, 2021, Asuncion was one of the nine human rights defenders killed while the police and military executed twenty-four search warrants in the Southern Tagalog region. Now called the “Bloody Sunday,” it was one of the deadliest days for activists in recent Philippine history.
Last January 17, however, the seventeen policemen involved in the Bloody Sunday were cleared of their charges due to “insufficient evidence” submitted by the complainant.
“We lament the demise of Emmanuel Asuncion. However, the complainant and the evidence she submitted failed to discharge the obligation to prove the existence of a crime and identity of the perpetrators thereof,” the resolution stated.
This, despite accounts from several sources detailing Asuncion’s brutal murder, highlights labor advocates’ complaints on the blatant mismanagement of the Philippine Justice system.
Now, two years after Bloody Sunday rights groups and victims of the said tragedy are left disappointed, still demanding justice for Asuncion and the rest of the victims of the massacre.
Adonis condemns Remulla & the DOJ
“Hindi masamang tao si Manny Asuncion. Siya ay lider ng manggagawa, organisador, edukador, nagtatayo ng unyon para proteksiyonan ang freedom of association ng manggagawang Pilipino,”declared Adonis to the media.
He further called out Justice Secretary Remulla for his incompetence and hypocrisy, citing that if he truly considered Asuncion a friend, he would give his case fair justice.
Adonis then stated that the Philippines had been a signatory to the International Labor Organization (ILO) that guarantees workers’ freedom of association since June 15, 1948 .
Coincidentally, this decision comes a few days before the ILO conducts a High-Level Tripartite Mission to the Philippines to investigate the killing of trade unionists and other violations against workers’ freedom of association.
No justice for labor activists
Historically speaking, Filipino workers have often been labeled guilty by the court because of the DOJ’s long history of unjustly dismissing and covering up labor unions’ complaints. ” as Filipinos could no longer seek for fair justice in the government.
“Katarungan, hustisya para kay kasamang Manny Asuncion,”he called on. The KMU urged all workers and Filipinos with a passion for human rights to expose and hold accountable all the policemen involved in the killing of Manny Asuncion.“Katarungan, hustisya sa lahat ng lider at organisador na pinatay sa ilalim ng rehimen Duterte at ang nagpapatuloy na pang aatake ng military at pulis. Ang pakikielam sa pag-uunyon, na yan po ay dapat wala silang pakielam diyan pero hanggang ngayon tuloy-tuloy ang harassment na nagiit sa hanay ng mga manggagawang Pilipino,”said Adonis.
#StopTheKillings
Featured image courtesy of Tudla Productions
