Police ambush of Cebu labor leader chills labor movement
The Statement of Mr. Michael C. Mendoza, National President of the Associated Labor Unions-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines on the attempted assassination of Labor Leader Jessielou Cadungog.
This morning in the vicinity of Barangay Tejero and the Oriental Port and Allied Services Corporation (OPASCOR), there was an ambush engineered apparently against the life of Mr. Jessielou Cadungog. There is an information that the Philippine National Police in Cebu are owning up to the incident as a legitimate police operation.
The gunman who was killed in the cnounter was identified as PO2 Eugene Alcain Calumba. The accomplice who was taken into custody by the PNP was Michael Banua. Now, the PNP is trying to portray the assassination attempt on Mr. Cadungog as a legitimate police operation identifying him as a “person-in-interest” involved in shabu. “We stand by Mr. Cadungog and condemn this sordid attempt to justify and cover-up for what is clear police involvement.
This is something that we should not allow. Mr. Cadungog is a respected Labor Leader. He is also the Vice-Chairman of OPASCOR, one of the largest workers’ enterprises in the country. He recently won in the election as a Councilor of Barangay Tejero of which he was formerly the Barangay Captain.
We ask the national Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to assume jurisdiction of the case as we fear the PNP in Cebu o9r Elements thereof may have had a hand in the event. We ask for all of our Law Enforcement Authorities to respect due process and the rule of law.
“We cannot keep our silence in the face of the impunity that so-called police operations create for labor and all decent society. Particularly when they act as Judge, Jury and Executioner,” Mendoza said.
This will have a chilling effect on our democracy and create a climate of fear. Let us join hands to go to the bottom of this sad and tragic affair.