10 labor organizers detained in Caloocan set free
FREED. The labor organizers are released. Photo courtesy of Antonio La Viña
MANILA, Philippines – The 10 labor organizers working with Bukluran Ng Manggagawang Pilipino who were arrested during a strike have been set free on Wednesday afternoon, February 6.
In a Facebook post, former Ateneo School of Government dean Antonio La Viña announced that his son, Rafael La Viña, and 9 other labor organizers were freed by the police after no charges were filed against them.
The 10 were arrested on Tuesday morning, when a month-old strike against company Cosmic Enterprises was dispersed by private security guards. Cops came later and sided against the strikers, ending up with the arrest of the 10. (READ: Caloocan police urged to stop 'illegal' detention of 10 labor organizers)
"The police should not have intervened in favor of management in a legitimate strike and the Cosmic 10 should not have been arrested," La Viña said.
La Viña, who is a lawyer, noted that despite their freedom, the the 10 labor organizers were still detained for over 24 hours even though they did not commit a crime.
Labor groups also earlier pointed out that the labor dispute shouldn't have been broken up by the police as it was under the jurisdiction of the Department of Labor and Employment. – Rappler.com
