Palace assures ‘thorough’ probe of labor leader’s killing

Executive Secretary  Lucas Bersamin —PPA POOL

Malacañang on Friday assured the family of slain labor leader Jude Thaddeus Fernandez of “a thorough and impartial investigation” after Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) has accused the police of killing their labor organizer.

In a statement, Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin extended the government’s condolences to the family of Fernandez and to the labor groups and unions whom he had helped.

“This administration stands for the creation of a fair and just society for all, and guarantees the inalienability of the people’s fundamental rights and welfare,” Bersamin said.

These basic freedoms, he added, “must be meaningfully upheld and never curtailed by any form of violence.”

“To that end, we will take concrete steps to mobilize all relevant government agencies towards effectively conducting a thorough and impartial investigation into the matter,” he said.

According to KMU, operatives of the Philippine National Police’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) barged into a house in Binangonan, Rizal province, where Fernandez was staying at 4 p.m. on Sept. 29 and killed him on the pretext that he fought back.

READ: Labor activist’s slay in Bacolod City sparks CHR outcry

Lt. Col. Marissa Bruno, public information officer of the PNP-CIDG, on Wednesday denied KMU’s accusation, saying that they “did not conduct any operation against Fernandez.”

But KMU maintained that Fernandez was a victim of the police raid and his family was still trying to claim his remains.

KMU said Fernandez was the 72nd victim of labor-related killings in the country since 2016.

—NESTOR CORRALES