Human rights groups condemn murder of Philippine trade union leader

Tuesday, 18 March 2008 16:04

Labour Behind the Label is joining The Center for Trade Union and Human Rights (CTUHR)and the Asia Human Rights Commission in strongly condemning the ambush and murder of Gerardo “Gerry” Cristobal, a union organizer in Cavite at around 8:00 o’clock in the morning on March 10th 2008. He died instantly of multiple gunshot wounds. 

Cristobal is the second union organizer of EMI-YAZAKI who has been ambushed and killed since 2006. The first was Jesus “Buth” Servida who was shot dead on December 11, 2006 in front of the factory gate. No one has been apprehended for the murder.

Gerry was driving his car from his house in Malagasang II in Cavite when men on board Pajero chased him and fired at his car continuously in front of MAKRO, Imus. The SOCO reportedly asked the Alindog Funeral Homes in Dasmariñas to collect his body from the crime scene. His remains was transferred to Samson Funeral Homes in Imus. However, complete details about the ambush remains sketchy up to this time.

Gerry was a former union president of Samahan ng Manggagawa sa EMI-YAZAKI (Workers’ Association in EMI-YAZAKI) in Imus, Cavite.This attack was not the first attempt on his life. On April 2006, he first survived an attempt on his life by armed men who were later identified to be a policeman and members of security forces in Imus, Cavite. Not entirely unexpectedly the policemen investigating the case (who were attached to the same police station where Gerardo's attackers were assigned) concluded that it was him, not the police and security forces, who initiated the attack. Gerardo had exchanged fired with his attackers and the police filed charges against Gerardo for allegedly attempting to kill them. Gerardo's version of the story and his serious allegations were never investigated.

Gerry had been continuing his activities in as a union organizer since recovering from the first attack, despite continued threats to his safety. On February 2007, unidentified armed men riding on a motorcycle once again shot at him. On that occasion he was not harmed. Yet despite this history, and even before a thorough investigation has been completed, reports already abound that his murder could have been a result of "road rage".

The rumour that Gerardo's shooting could have been a result of a road fight comes in the absence of a thorough investigation and is yet another instance where the authorities are quick to exonerate themselves of any responsibility for the continuing attacks and murder of activists. When the late Bishop Alberto Ramento of the Iglesia Filipina Independiente (IFI) was murdered in October 2006, the police too, within a short period, concluded he was killed during a robbery attempt and without further investigation declared his case as solved. Although they arrested some persons supposedly responsible for his murder, the reports that he had been receiving threats prior to his murder have never been properly investigated.

This was also similar to the murder of a colleague of Gerardo, Jesus Servida (a.k.a. Buth). Jesus was murdered in December 2006 in front of a factory in Imus, Cavite where he and Gerardo had been involved in organizing labour unions. The attack took place seven months after the first attempt on Gerardo's life. However, instead of identifying the attackers and assuring the witnesses and Jesus' family that they would be afforded with protection to encourage them into testifying, the authority's put all their efforts into explaining that his murder was the result of a conflict with another group of workers over business concessions. However, whether or not his murder was a result of a personal conflict of arising from his activism though, it does not exonerate the police from any responsibility that they have continuously failed to hold the attackers to account.

The apparent failure of the police and concerned authorities in Gerardo's case illustrates symptoms of lawlessness that is now prevalent in the Philippines. Perpetrators murder their targets in crowded places, activists are being killed without any means of protection, police investigators excuse themselves of any responsibility -- not only to afford the victims of protection but to hold those responsible to account.

Information received from Centre for Trade Union and Human Rights and Asia Human Rights Commission