Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 5) — A labor group denounced the denial by the Philippine National Police (PNP) that it was involved in the killing of a union organizer.
Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) accused the police of killing Jude Fernandez on Sept. 29 in his home in Rizal province. He supposedly resisted arrest (“nanlaban”).
The group said it received reports that operatives of the PNP-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) entered Fernandez’ house to serve a warrant.
“The PNP-CIDG claims that Fernandez fought back (nanlaban), which caused them to fire at Fernandez until he was killed and declared dead on the spot,” KMU said in a statement.
“We deliberately refute this narrative,” it added. “Fernandez is a labor organizer and he does not bear arms.”
On the other hand, the PNP denied involvement in the killing and said the subject of the arrest warrant was not Fernandez.
PNP spokesperson PCol Jean Fajardo said the warrant was for Oscar Dizon, whom the police identified as a member of the central committee of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army.
“Hindi natin alam saan nanggagaling ang pangalan na binibigay pero base sa ebidensya na na-rekober doon sa pinangyarihan ng insidente, maraming ID na na-recover sa kaniya at iba ibang pangalan ang nakalagay, pero may isang ID na nagma-match sa subject ng arrest warrant na si Oscar Dizon,” Fajardo said.
[Translation: We do not know where the name came from but based on the evidence recovered at the scene of the incident, many IDs were recovered from him and different names were written, but there was one ID that matched the subject of the arrest warrant that is Oscar Dizon.]
Fajardo said Dizon resisted arrest which led to his shooting.
‘Walang nanlaban’
The KMU said it launched a fact-finding mission on Oct. 3 on the “nanlaban” narrative. People’s organizations and human rights institutions together with Gabriela Women’s Party and former Bayan Muna Rep. Ferdinand Gaite were part of the group.
“Walang nanlaban. ‘Yan ang resulta ng aming fact-finding,” KMU Secretary General Jerome Adonis said. “Walang-awa pong pinatay ng CIDG at ng gobyernong Marcos ang aming kasamahang si Jude Fernandez. Pamamaraang terorista ang ginamit sa isang unyonista.”
[Translation: \”No one fought back. That is the result of our fact-finding. The CIDG and the Marcos government mercilessly killed our colleague Jude Fernandez. Terrorist tactics were used against a unionist.]
The groups conducted an indignation rally on Thursday in front of the CIDG headquarters in Camp Crame, Quezon City.
Fernandez was organizing local workers to encourage them to advocate for wage increases and other worker rights. He began as a unionist during the martial law era, said KMU.
Karapatan decried the \”lies\” behind the “nanlaban” narrative.
“The PNP’s long and filthy record of false narratives, bogus witnesses, planting evidence and filing trumped-up charges leaves us incredulous,” it said.
The group called on the PNP-CIDG to produce the footage from body-cams worn by its operatives while serving the warrant.
GABRIELA said the PNP-CIDG and other state forces have been doing this “modus operandi” – citing the brutal torture and killing of peasant leader Randall Echanis in 2020. Gunmen killed Echanis in his residence, and access to his body was initially denied by his family and colleagues.
“The latest remark from the PNP-CIDG is no different from their tired ‘nanlaban’ excuse whenever they kill someone under their extrajudicial killing modus operandi,” GABRIELA Secretary General Clarice Palce.
\”This is nothing more than an attempt to evade their heinous crime and accountability,” she also said.
“The killing came at a time of the resounding call from workers and the people for wage increases, their outrage against unbridled corruption in the government, and intensifying human rights violations,” the KMU said.
Fernandez’ remains are currently being retrieved and will be turned over to his relatives, it also said.
The labor group said Fernandez is the 72nd victim of extrajudicial killing from the labor sector and the fourth since the International Labor Organization conducted a high-level tripartite mission to the country in January.
