Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 20) — The Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) has reported the alleged red-tagging statements of the Department of Education (DepEd) to the International Labour Organization (ILO), the labor agency of the United Nations.
The statements referred to were in relation to the announced strike by transport groups and DepEd’s allegation that ACT’s call for the hiring of 30,000 teachers was made to divert attention from clashes initiated by communist rebels against government forces in Masbate last month.
ACT also reported the joint press conference of the DepEd and the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), which it said was “solely dedicated to incriminate ACT and its leaders to armed revolution.”
The statements were posted in DepEd’s social media pages and were signed by Education Secretary and Vice President Sara Duterte, ACT said.
“Red-tagging our legal and legitimate unions is a violation of the freedom of association and poses grave dangers to the life of our organization and leaders,” Raymond Basilio, ACT Secretary General, said Thursday in a statement.
ILO Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific Chihoko Asada Miyakawa received the report.
Last January 23, the ILO High-Level Tripartite Mission (HLTM) conducted a three-day meeting with Philippine labor groups and employers to discuss labor rights guaranteed to workers.
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The ILO-HLTM is composed of representatives from Sweden, Australia and Fiji who investigate violations of international labor standards and rights in a country.
“It was well-expressed in the ILO-HLTM report that the practice of red-tagging should stop and any suspicion of criminal acts should be brought before appropriate judicial bodies with assurances of due process and respect for the presumption of innocence,” Basilio said.
