[APWSLMembers 282] Labor groups demands surfacing and release of victims; Erap 5 incident happening again: PISTON and KMU officials abducted in Central Luzon

[Kilusang Mayo Uno]

KMU NEWS RELEASE
July 4, 2006

Labor groups demands surfacing and release of victims; Erap 5 
incident happening again
PISTON and KMU officials abducted in Central Luzon


The militant labor center Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) today condemned the 
abduction of 7 leaders of PISTON and KMU in Central Luzon yesterday 
and blamed the Philippine National Police and Armed Forces of the 
Philippines for the continuing saturation drive and militarization in 
various Central Luzon provinces.

The victims Emerito Gonzales Lipio, Jose Ramos, William Aguilar, Jav 
Francisco Aquino, Fernando Poblacion, Jose Bernardino and Archie De 
Jesus were forcibly taken between 11am and 12 noon yesterday at 
Hensonville, Bgy. Malabanias, Angeles City in Pampanga by heavily armed men.



The aforementioned PISTON and KMU officials were holding a meeting 
when alleged elements of CIDG, 56th and 69th Infantry Battalion 
headed by Supt. Policarpio C. Segubre, head of Angeles City PNP, 
barged into the house and forcibly arrested the transport and labor 
leaders without any warrant of arrests. Upon questioning by the 
victims' families and human rights groups in Central Luzon, the 
police admitted that the abducted militant leaders were taken to 
174th PNP station at Sto. Domingo, Angeles City.

This morning, Central Luzon PNP Director Ismael Rafanan admitted in a 
radio interview that there was a legitimate operation in the area 
yesterday as the AFP were pursuing alleged members of the New 
People's Army (NPA). The police officer refused to admit the 
whereabouts of the abducted activists. He just said that they turned 
over them to the military.

"We are holding General Jovito Palparan and his men accountable for 
this incident. We demand the immediate surfacing of the abducted 
PISTON and KMU officials. We demand a stop to the worsening 
militarization in Central Luzon and other provinces. It seems that 
there is an on-going contest among military units to arrest, abduct 
or neutralize suspected rebels who are actually leaders and 
organizers of legal organizations. Is it a crime or an act of 
rebellion to oppose oil price hikes which the PISTON and KMU leaders 
and members are doing? If that is the case, then all Filipinos are 
guilty of rebellion for opposing increases in the prices of petroleum 
products?"

"Our immediate demand now is for the military and police to surface 
and release all the victims. As long as the victims remain in the 
hands of their captors, their lives are in severe danger," said KMU 
Spokesperson Presto Suyat.

The labor leader said that this incident is similar to what happened 
to the Erap 5. "At first the police and military denied having to do 
with the abduction, in this case, they admitted the conduct of an 
operation but denied to admit the whereabouts or the identity of the 
custodians of the abducted activists," Suyat said. ###

Visit us at <http://www.kilusangmayouno.org>www.kilusangmayouno.org

NOTE:  As of June 5, six of the leaders were already freed but the 
military still refuses to surface Emerito Gonzales Lipio. Tomorrow at 
9am, PISTON will lead a picket protest in front of Camp Crame to call 
for the release of Lipio, to condemn the intense political repression 
in Central Luzon and the whole of the Philippines and to call for a 
stop to political killings, abductions, harassments and all forms of 
political repression being committed under Oplan Bantay Laya.


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