Probe sought into red-tagging of gov’t employees

Leftist representatives have sought a probe of the recent Red-tagging of government employees’ unions by some public officials and the killing of labor leader Dandy Miguel.

The Makabayan bloc has filed two measures to condemn and push for an investigation in aid of legislation on the attacks against workers in the government and labor leaders.

House Resolution No. 1713 urged the House human rights committee to probe the murder of Miguel, vice chair of the Pagkakaisa ng Manggagawa sa Timog Katalugan-Kilusang Mayo Uno.

Miguel was shot eight times on March 28 on his way home to Calamba, Laguna.

The lawmakers said the raids, arrests and killings of activists in the Southern Tagalog region “escalated” after President Duterte ordered government troops to kill suspected rebels.

They cited the March 7 raids in the provinces of Laguna, Rizal, Cavite and Batangas that resulted in the deaths of nine activists and the arrest of six others, and the arrests and raids in Central Luzon during the Holy Week.

Orchestrated attacks

The Makabayan bloc in a statement said the attacks, vilification and Red-tagging campaigns were orchestrated by the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-Elcac), the military and the police.

“Left unchecked, the raids, arrests and killings, being part of an ongoing crackdown against progressive organizations, is expected to continue and would worsen the already dire state of human rights in the country,” the statement read.

The lawmakers also filed House Resolution No. 1714, which condemned the Red-tagging of Sandigan ng mga Empleyadong Nagkakaisa sa Adhikain ng Demokratikong Organisasyon (Senado), or the Senate employees’ union.

The lawmakers called on the House civil service and professional regulation committee and the human rights committee to conduct an investigation in aid of legislation.

They cited a Facebook post of Alex Monteagudo, director general of the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency, which he accused Senado as the “eyes and ears” of the communist rebels in the Senate.

‘Caused anxiety and fear”

Lorraine Marie Badoy, spokesperson for the NTF-Elcac, also accused Senado president Rosel Eugenio and Erwin Ocson, president of Supreme Court Employees Association and the Judiciary Employees Association, as communist operatives.

The government employees’ unions have denounced the Red-tagging of their leaders, while several senators slammed the Red-tagging of the Senate employees’ union.

The Makabayan bloc said the Red-tagging of government employees’ unions have “caused anxiety and fear, and put at risk the lives and safety” of the concerned government employees.

“Congress must not allow government officials in their Red-tagging spree, which not only violates union rights but more importantly, endangers the safety and lives of government employees and activists,” they said.

“Congress should study and pass measures to prohibit and put an end to Red-tagging, arrests and killings of government employees and other individuals who are providing services and standing up for the rights and welfare of the people,” they said. INQ