Oz, NZ groups condemn death of labor leader

MANILA, Philippines—Leaders of 13 organizations in Australia and 12 in New Zealand condemned the death of labor leader Edward Panganiban and challenged the incoming administration to render justice to him and other human rights victims.

In an open letter, a copy of which was sent to INQUIRER.net, the Australian and New Zealand organizations said President-elect Benigno Aquino III need to restore the public’s faith in the justice system and build up confidence for the peace process.

At the same time, the New Zealand Nurses Organization reiterated its appeal for the new President to immediately release the 43 health workers who were arrested in Morong, Rizal for allegedly training on how to make a bomb.

“We strongly condemn the brutal killing of yet another labor leader, Edward Panganiban,” said Murray Horton, secretary of Philippines Solidarity Network of Aotearoa.

“As the Philippines welcomes a new president, we hope that the calls for justice and challenges for the new administration to end repressive state policies that brought record-high extra-judicial killings and enforced disappearances under the nine-year Arroyo government will not fall on deaf ears,” he added.

“Now that the Marcoses are back in power and the Arroyos are still very much in power, any compromise deal with the Marcoses and Arroyos under your administration will betray not only your father but every Filipino who yearn for justice, accountability and meaningful change,” the open letter read.

The organizations from Australia and New Zealand also expressed support for peace negotiations with the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

They called for the termination of outgoing President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s “Oplan Bantay Laya and all forms of repressive campaigns against trade unions, peasant groups, and all legal mass organizations critical of corruption, military abuses, economic plunder and anti-poor policies of the government.”

Aside from going after the perpetrators of the Maguindanao massacre, the groups said the government must also prosecute retired General Jovito Palparan, whom they described as “notorious.”

The incoming Aquino government must also “open all military detention camps and facilities for the kin and human rights advocates to search for victims of enforced disappearances” and “fulfill the long-overdue compensation for surviving victims of the Marcos dictatorship.”

Among the signatories are: Edwin Subijano, president of Lingap Migrante (Migrants’ Aid
Association of Filipinos and Filipino-Australians); Peter Brock, chairperson of Action for Peace and Development in the Philippines-Australia Solidarity Group; Jacinto Manansala, chairperson of Migrante North-New South Wales, Australia; Annie Thomson, president of Migrante Sydney Neighborhood;

John Minto, spokesperson of Global Peace and Justice Auckland; Gillian Southey, campaigns coordinator of Christian World Service; Mary Ellen Oconnor of Wellington Kiwi Pinoy; Helen Tehira of Auckland Philippines Solidarity; Mike Treen, national director of Unite Union; Robert Reid, general secretary of National Distribution Union; and Wayne Butson, general secretary of Rail and Maritime Transport Union. –INQUIRER.net