Labor activist’s slay in Bacolod City sparks CHR outcry
Commission on Human Rights INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) is seeking more protection for labor activists following the slaying of a call center agent in Bacolod City.
In a statement on Friday, the agency condemned the killing of 35-year-old Alex Dolorosa.
Before he died, he was also a paralegal officer of the Business process outsourcing Industry Employees Network (BIEN).
Dolorosa went missing on Friday (April 21, 2023).
His body was found three days later at Purok Villa Rosario in Barangay Alijis, bearing multiple stab wounds.
His motorcycle, mobile phone, and other belongings had all disappeared.
“Any form of alleged attack on workers’ union officers and members must be sufficiently addressed before they lead to distrust and tension between workers, employers, and government,” CHR said in a statement.
The group, Human Rights Watch, said Dolorosa had been helping fellow workers in four labor cases a few days before his violent death.
It said the victim was also joining campaigns for labor rights and that his union was allegedly subjected to surveillance and red-tagging.
Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla had directed the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the National Prosecution Service (NPS) to investigate the case.
