THE COMMISSION on Human Rights (CHR) revealed on Tuesday that it had already started its own investigation into the death of a Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) labor organizer, who was fatally shot by policemen last month.
“CHR is already conducting its motu proprio (on its own) independent investigation on the case of the KMU leader,” CHR Chairman Richard P. Palpal-latoc told BusinessWorld in a text message, responding to a question on the incident.
He added that the CHR’s Region 4-A office (covering Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon) is “on the case,” since the fatal shooting of the 67-year-old KMU labor organizer Jude Thaddeus Fernandez happened in Binangonan, Rizal.
However, Mr. Palpal-latoc declined to provide more details until the CHR’s investigation into the Sept. 29 incident is completed.
In a statement earlier in the day, KMU cited the need for the international and domestic bodies to seek accountability for these human rights abuses, citing the tragic fate of Mr. Fernandez. “Jude’s death mirrors the worsening situation of labor in the Philippines,” KMU secretary general Jerome Adonis said in Filipino.
The KMU leader renewed calls made last week to the CHR as well as the International Labor Organization (ILO) and the United Nations to investigate trade unionist killings and other human rights violations against labor activists.
The KMU noted that Mr. Fernandez’s fatal shooting is the 72nd case of labor-related killings in the Philippines since 2016 and the fourth since the ILO sent its High-Level Tripartite mission in January to meet with trade unions and state officials on the need to address various forms of abuse against workers.
In November last year, the Philippines accepted 200 recommendations from the United Nations Human Rights Council, which included measures to investigate extralegal killings and protect journalists. — John Victor D. Ordoñez
