The lies perpetrated by the Department of Labor and Employment at the International Labor Conference in Geneva, Switzerland is the most despicable, disgusting, and most convoluted deception – on a global scale – this government has done. Their dismissal of Alex Dolorosa’s case as a simple homicide, and petty crime, is a manifestation of the Marcos government’s ignoramus and poor understanding of how human rights and labor are constantly attacked in our country.
It is beyond incomprehensible how Mr. Bitonio of the Department of Labor can mince those words denying the killing of Alex Dolorosa the needed justice that his family, friends, and comrades fully deserve.
What are the facts? Alex Dolorosa was killed on April 24, 2023 after meeting his friends in Bacolod City. Not less than 24 hours after his killing, the local police have released a press statement saying that his death is “most likely” related to drugs. This was despite the statement from his family and friends that he was not involved in any illicit activities. The police changed the tune that a certain “partner” had the motive to kill him. The investigation went on and stiffened on this angle, without considering his involvement in labor and human rights work.
BIEN Philippines and his family have more reasons to believe that Alex was killed because of his paralegal work and union organizing in Bacolod City.
Mr. Bitonio’s statement that Alex is not a member of any registered union is correct. Why? The government’s policy allowing the BPO industry to self-regulate and the provisions from the PEZA law prohibiting union organizing in our sector are precisely why there is no union, yet, in the industry.
BIEN Philippines has been relentlessly organizing unions in the BPO industry since 2013. Company after company, our union leaders have been terminated even before the official registration to the Department of Labor. We have often reported unfair labor treatment and practices in all government platforms, from the Department of Labor to the different committee hearings in Congress, we keep repeating the current working conditions of BPO workers and the government has not done anything to these reported cases.
Alex was our paralegal and union organizer in Bacolod City. He was there when BPO workers from Bacolod filed en masse the underpayment and mandatory overtime against a BPO company to the Department of Labor. He attended every meeting, adjudication, negotiation, and protest action. When the Department of Labor favored these BPO workers, he was there in their victory. It is incredulous for the same government body to deny his involvement in labor and union work.
BIEN Philippines is a duly registered labor association in the Department of Labor and Employment. We have been part of the National Tripartite Industry Peace Council (NTIPC) of the BPO sector. BIEN is present and always invited to Congress for any public hearings related to the BPO industry. We are recognized by the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) as a Trade Union organization representing BPO workers.
Denying this in front of the International Labor Conference, Mr. Bitonio is the ultimate expression of the government’s oblivious attitude towards labor and human rights. Alex Dolorosa is a member of BIEN Philippines and no government agency can tell anyone else otherwise.
We are disgusted with Mr. Bitonio’s statement and expect his immediate recantation of his report to the ILC. BIEN Philippines will formally write to the office of the Director General of the International Labor Conference about how deceptive and misleading the report of Mr Bitonio to the General Assembly of the ILC.
Since the High-Level Tripartite Mission of the ILO in 2023, the Marcos government has been showing a treacherous and scheming face against workers. When confronted with all the human rights and labor cases, they tell us that they are committed to protecting labor rights and resolving them. But at what cost? To make the Marcos government look good in the international community? To deodorize his family’s crimes against the Filipino people? We have never forgotten the crimes of his father under Martial Law. We have never forgotten how he has denied justice to all the victims of Martial Law.
BIEN Philippines will continue to fight for justice for Alex and all other victims of human rights violations in our country. We stand firm, arms chained with other trade union organizations that have fought and are continuously fighting for workers’ rights in the country. The injustice that Mr. Bitonio has done to Alex Dolorosa will unwaver our resolve to pursue a nation of workers and people with just and lasting peace.### |
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