FINAL REPORT - Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism

Thus, suspicion is rife that such listing constitutes a virtual “hit list” for the military,
police, paramilitary forces and other kinds of “death squads” under the control of state
forces.
According to Ms. Enriquez, the brazenness and absolute impunity with which
these human rights violations are carried out demonstrates the intensifying political
repression under the Arroyo government. Worse, not a word has been heard from
Pres. Arroyo categorically condemning the aforementioned attacks on the democratic
and human rights of the people. Her keeping close to absolutely mum on the issue
leads to no other conclusion than that she has full knowledge of these human rights
violations and abuses and actually tolerates, if not implements, this state policy, she
being the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the
Philippine National Police.
Workers’ Repression
A clear example of the politically repressive policy of the Arroyo government that
has alarmed even the international community is the callous massacre of striking
farm and mill workers of the Hacienda Luisita in Tarlac City, owned and managed by
the big landlord Cojuangco-Aquino clan. Until now the victims, their families and
supporters cry out for justice against the blatant violation of the workers’ rights
committed by the Arroyo regime including its military, police and paramilitary agents
in collusion with the hacienda owners/managers.
RENE GALANG, who has been working for 23 years as a farm worker in the
sprawling hacienda that mainly grows sugar cane and includes a sugar central,
became president of the United Luisita Workers’ Union (ULWU) on June 2004. Prior to
his election as president, ULWU was a yellow union subservient to the dictates and
whims of the management.
Mr. Galang recounted that on 6 November 2004, the workers belonging to
ULWU and the Central Azucarera de Tarlac Labor Union (CATLU) simultaneously
launched a strike to force management to heed their legitimate economic demands,
such as an increase in wages and other better terms and conditions of employment.
ULWU also demanded the reinstatement of officers and members laid off as part of
management’s union busting efforts. Their strike also highlighted the fraudulent
scheme called the Stock Distribution Option (SDO) adopted by the hacienda
owners/management to deprive their farm worker-beneficiaries of their right to own
their land as mandated by the government’s Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law. By
a combination of misrepresentation and intimidation, the owners/management had
hoodwinked the farm worker-beneficiaries into believing that the SDO would improve
their lives. In reality, though, the stock distribution scheme has only further
impoverished them.
Mr. Galang testified that their filing of a petition in 2003 seeking the
revocation/nullification of the SDO in Hacienda Luisita may have been the reason for
his illegal dismissal from work.
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