[APWSLMembers 86] Fwd: URGENT ACTION ALERT: Nestle Union President and KMU Leader Shot Dead!

[apwsl_nz at slingshot.co.nz]

----- Forwarded message from kmuid at tri-isys.com -----
    Date: Fri, 23 Sep 2005 01:07:48 +0800
    From: Kilusang Mayo Uno <kmuid at tri-isys.com>
Reply-To: Kilusang Mayo Uno <kmuid at tri-isys.com>
 Subject: URGENT ACTION ALERT: Nestle Union President and KMU Leader  Shot Dead!
      To: Kilusang Mayo Uno <kmuid at tri-isys.com>

Dear friends,

Please find below an Urgent Action Alert
concerning the brutal slaying of Diosdado
Fortuna, Nestle-Cabuyao union president and
chairman of the regional chapter of KMU in Southern Tagalog.

We enjoin you to send protest letters to Nestle
and concerned government agencies, as well as
send solidarity message to the Nestle union.

We hope for your immediate action on this matter.  Thank you very much.

In solidarity,
Tess Dioquino
Secretary
KMU International Department


22 Sept 2005
URGENT ACTION ALERT!!!

Nestle Union President and KMU Leader Shot Dead!

Another union leader was shot dead in Southern
Tagalog today, Sept 22, 2005, a day after the
33rd anniversary of the declaration of martial law in the Philippines.

Diosdado Fortuna was shot by unidentified
motorcycle-riding gunmen believed to be agents of
the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of
the Philippines (ISAFP) and the Philippine
National Police (PNP).  Fortuna was riding his
motorbike on his way home when he was shot near
Sagara factory in Brgy Paciano, Calamba.  He
sustained two fatal gunshot wounds in the chest
and was pronounced dead on arrival at the Calamba Provincial Hospital.

The labor leader had just attended an All-Leaders
meeting and went directly to the Nestle
picketline for a discussion with student
exposurists from the University of Sto. Tomas
(UST).  He went home after the discussion to visit his sick grandson.

Fortuna, fondly called “Ka Fort” by friends and
comrades, is the president of the Union of
Filipro Employees – Drug, Food & Allied
Industries (UFE-DFA-KMU) in Cabuyao, Laguna.  He
is also the chairman of the Pagkakaisa ng mga
Manggagawa sa Timog Katagalugan (PAMANTIK-KMU) or
the Unity of Workers in Southern Tagalog, the
regional chapter of Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) in
Southern Tagalog.  He is also a member of the National Council of KMU.

Fortuna holds many positions in the region, among
them being the chairman of the Anakpawis (Toiling
Masses) Partylist in Southern Tagalog and
co-chairman of the National Coalition for the
Protection of Workers Rights – Southern Tagalog.

In yesterday’s rally in front of the Nestle
Cabuyao plant to commemorate the declaration of
martial law, Fortuna briefly mentioned the brutal
murder of former Nestle Cabuyao president Mel
Roxas who was shot dead in front of the
picketline by unidentified assasins in
1987.  Protesters remembered Fortuna saying that
the Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo government and greedy
capitalists such as Nestle can never silence the
voice of the workers and people.  He enjoined the
people to be vigilant and fight against the
creeping martial law under the present regime.

KMU believes that the killing is politically
motivated.  Fortuna has allegedly been on the hit
list of the military due to his active political
involvement.  He was under constant surveillance
and harassment by military and paid goons of
Nestle since the Cabuyao plant went on strike on
January 14, 2002 over deadlock in the collective
bargaining agreement (CBA).   The Nestle
management refuses to include the retirement
benefits of the workers in the CBA, despite an
earlier ruling of the Supreme Court in favor of the workers.

KMU condemns in the strongest possible terms the
brutal murder of Fortuna.  Fortuna is the 119th
victim of military atrocities in the Southern
Tagalog alone since Pres. Arroyo came into power in 2001.
We ask you to send solidarity message to the
Nestle union as well as condemnation letters to
the Nestle management, to Malacanang, Armed
Forces of the Philippines, Department of Labor
and Employment and other concerned
agencies.  Other forms of actions such as picket
protest in front of Nestle companies or in front
of Philippine Consulates in your respective countries is very much welcome.

Solidarity messages can be sent to:

PAMANTIK-KMU
e-mail address:  <mailto:granahe at yahoo.com>granahe at yahoo.com
cc: <mailto:kmuid at tri-isys.com>kmuid at tri-isys.com

Protest letters can be sent to:

Nandu Nandkishore
CEO & President
Nestle Center
31 Plaza Drive
Rockwell Center, Makati City, Phils.

Fax No. (632) 8906681
Email:

Peter Brabeck
Chief Executive Officer
Nestle Vevey
Switzerland

Email:
<mailto:Peter.Brabeck_Letmathe at nestle.com>Peter.Brabeck_Letmathe at nestle.com

Hon. Patricia Sto. Tomas
Labor Secretary
Department of Labor and Employment
7th Floor, DOLE Building
Muralla Street, Intramuros, Manila, PHILIPPINES
email: sto-tomapat at pacific.net.ph
fax: 0063-2-527 3494


H.E. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
President of the Republic
Malacanang Palace,
JP Laurel St., San Miguel
Manila Philippines
Voice: (+632) 564 1451 to 80
Fax: (+632) 742-1641 / 929-3968
Cell#: (+ 63) 919 898 4622 / (+63) 917 839 8462
E-mail:
<mailto:corres at op.gov.ph>corres at op.gov.ph  /
<mailto:opnet at ops.gov.ph>opnet at ops.gov.ph

The Secretariat, GRP-Human Rights Monitoring Committee
Email: <mailto:grp_mc at myway.com>grp_mc at myway.com
or
The Secretariat, NDFP-Human Rights Monitoring Committee
E-mail: <mailto:ndfp_Jsection at yahoo.com>ndfp_Jsection at yahoo.com
6/F Immaculate Conception Multi-Purpose Building
71 Lantana St., Cubao, Quezon City


Please inform us of your actions.  Thank you very
much for your continued support to the Filipino people and workers.

----- End forwarded message -----