[APWSLMembers 320] 21 Toyota workers arrested and detained; 6 seriously wounded

[Kilusang Mayo Uno]

fyi


August 16, 2006
NEWS RELEASE
Center for Trade Union and Human Rights


21 Toyota workers arrested and detained; 6 seriously wounded


Twenty-one workers of Toyota Motor Corp. Phils in Sta. Rosa, Laguna 
were arrested at around 10:00 this morning and now detained in 
Western Police District headquarters following a mass delegation at 
the Department of Labor and Employment in Intramuros, Manila. Six of 
them were seriously wounded after a combined police and security 
guards numbering around 50 kicked and beat them.

The workers who are members of Toyota Motor Corp. Phils Workers 
Association (TMCPWA) went to DOLE at 9:00 o'clock am to file a motion 
for reconsideration (MR) to Labor Secretary Arturo Brion regarding 
the scrapping of an earlier MR filed by the union. According to Ed 
Cubelo, union president, Sec. Brion and Undersecretary Manuel Imson 
scrapped the union's earlier MR on the DOLE decision recognizing the 
new management union. "Iligal po ang decision dahil hindi nila 
binigyan ng order yong MR.  Sa halip, ibinasura nila sa pamamagitan 
ng isang sulat lamang. Ipa-file namin ang bagong MR pero hinarang at 
pinaputukan agad kami ng guard." Cubelo told CTUHR. One of the five 
guards on duty fired his gun five times, he added.

"Matagal na po kaming panalo. May decision na ang Supreme Court at 
ILO (International Labor Organization) na kinikilala ang aming unyon. 
Pero patuloy sa iligal na gawain ang Toyota, tulad ng ginawa nilang 
iligal na decision", Cubelo exclaimed.

Angelo Gavarra, Manolito Gertes, Joseph Alicabo, Ricky Bindol, Rommel 
Mariano, and Jun Torres sustained serious injuries.  Gavarra  and 
Bindol sustained wounds in the head after the policemen hit them with 
their guns. Meanwhile, Mariano was impaired from walking. 
"Pinagtatadyakan, sinuntok at pinalo kami ng pulis at mga gwardya" 
(We were punched, kicked and beaten by the security guards and 
police), Torres narrated.

The 21 arrested workers were brought to Ospital ng Maynila and were 
transferred to WPD headquarters. No formal charges were filed against 
the workers as of this time.#




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