Karapatan condemns
the attacks against the striking workers of Tanduay Distillers, Inc. in Cabuyao
Laguna, citing “connivance between the owner, Lucio Tan, and the military and
police to violently break a legitimate protest and ignore the rightful demands
of the workers. Lucio Tan and his puppets in the military and police violated
both the economic and civil and political rights of the workers.” At least 40
workers were already injured in the series of violent dispersals since the
strike started.
Karapatan condemns
the attacks against the striking workers of Tanduay Distillers, Inc. in Cabuyao
Laguna, citing “connivance between the owner, Lucio Tan, and the military and
police to violently break a legitimate protest and ignore the rightful demands
of the workers. Lucio Tan and his puppets in the military and police violated
both the economic and civil and political rights of the workers.” At least 40
workers were already injured in the series of violent dispersals since the
strike started.
“The picketline of
the striking workers have been repeatedly dismantled by the company guards with
members of the Philippine National Police. No less than retired Lt. Col. Noel
Coballes, former army chief heads the security of the Asia Brewery complex,” said
Cristina Palabay, secretary general of Karapatan.
Coballes
personally supervised the dispersal operations of the company guards, police
and members of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP). Coballes told
the striking workers they were “trespassing into the ABI Complex” and that the
strike “ruins the product’s image of the company”. Coballes also warned the workers the company
is not responsible should anything untoward happen to the workers.
“Only the powerful
and filthy rich like Lucio Tan can afford to have a former army chief as head
of security. And it shows how the capitalists use state forces against the poor
majority to protect their wealth and interests,” said Palabay.
On May 18, contractual
workers in Tanduay Distillers Inc. in Cabuyao, Laguna launched a strike to
demand for their regularization, higher wages, and a safe workplace. The
workers under the Tanggulan Ugnayang Daluyang lakas ng Anakpawis sa Tanduay
Distillers Inc. (TUDLA) said 90 percent of the workers in Tanduay are low-paid
and more than 60 percent are contractuals who have been with the company for
five to 11 years. The group also
lamented the lack of personal protective equipment (PPE) in the workplace. The
workers reported they pay for their own PPE through salary deductions.
The Forbes
magazine listed Lucio Tan as the second wealthiest billionaire from the
Philippines with a net worth of $6.1 billion or P270 billion. Aside from Tanduay
Distillers Inc., Lucio Tan owns Asia Brewery, Philippine Airlines, Philippine
National Bank, and Eton real estate.
“Coming from an
institution that treats everyone who fights for their rights as enemies of the
state, it comes as no surprise that he uses the same militarist approach
against the Tanduay workers,” she added. Coballes once called Karapatan and the
National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers as “enemies of the state” for questioning
the promotion of Lt. Gen Aurelio Baladad, now head of the Eastern Mindanao
Command.
Palabay “We also
have to investigate the use of some prisoners under custody of the BJMP as
there are strong indications of their presence during the dispersal.” ###