THE Philippines is no longer shortlisted among countries with labor cases that the International Labor Organization is looking into, the labor department reported on Tuesday.
But while Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III welcomed the development, he reaffirmed the government’s readiness to help the ILO high-level mission in investigating the reported killings and harassment of union leaders and workers.
“We reiterate our readiness to accept the ILO mission’s investigation, as well as our unequivocal willingness to present the developments in our handling of legal assistance to these reported cases of killings and harassment. On top of this, we reaffirm our promotion of freedom of association in the country, which is one of the bedrocks of labor unionism,” Bello said.
At least 22 ILO member states with ongoing labor case probe were shortlisted in the preliminary list of 40 countries that were invited to submit information to the Committee on Application of Standards (CAS) of the 110th session of ILC. The Philippines is no longer included in the shortlist.
Bello underscored the government’s commitment to the “civil liberties and trade union rights, as it continues to undertake proactive measures to address and prevent reported violence in the exercise of workers’ legitimate activities.”
DOLE’s 16 Regional Tripartite Monitoring Bodies (RTMB) have been assisting labor unions and workers in accessing legal remedies available in cases of intimidation, harassment, and “red-tagging.”
The DOLE assistance includes securing the complainants’ affidavits and endorsing the same to the appropriate office for verification and possible filing of a case, such as in the reported incidents of harassment and red-tagging of trade unionists in Alcophil Metal Inc. (ALCOPHIL) and Nexperia Philippines Inc. (NEXPERIA).
Similar DOLE assistance was made in the cases involving union officer/s at F.Tech Inc. in Laguna, Rose Bakeshop, Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Holcim Cement, Coco Davao, and Sky Cable in Davao, among others.
To further facilitate the effective investigation of cases, particularly those involving trade unions, DOLE sits as a member-observer in the meetings of the Inter-Agency Committee on Extra-Legal Killings, Enforced Disappearances, Torture, and Other Grave Violations of the Right to Life, Liberty and Security of Persons (IAC).
Bello assured of the government’s robust upholding of tripartism and healthy social dialogue in the labor sector, even as he guaranteed its commitment to actively participating in technical assistance programs by the ILO and European Union.
“As a way forward, the Philippine Government is gearing towards possibly availing itself of ILO technical assistance, especially on identifying gaps in the exercise of freedom of association, case conferences with the prosecutorial, investigative, and monitoring arm of the government, enhancement of witness protection programs, social services to the victims, their families and witnesses, and capacity-building activities, among others,” Bello said.
