Linking Human Rights and Workers' Struggles

In the Philippines and Around the World:

The speaking tour in the US of KMU Chairperson Elmer "Ka Bong" Labog

 

Posted: December 16, 2008

 

 

"US workers and labor unions should raise their voices against the gross human rights violations inflicted on their fellow workers, labor unions and other sectors in the Philippines," appealed Elmer "Ka Bong" Labog, the chairperson of Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) or May 1st Movement, the largest labor center in the Philippines. He spoke at the UCLA Labor Center on December 4 among a number of people from diverse ethnicities.
   
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Photos courtesy of BAYAN - USA
           
           

 

Monday, 15 December 2008
Leader. Labor. Labog

Philippine labor leader Elmer “Bong” Labog completed a successful speaking tour in the United States and Canada a few weeks ago. Ka Bong was the first leader of the militant Kilusang Mayo Uno who was able to enter the U.S.

Ka Bong spoke in different schools and churches; he met several American labor leaders; and he linked up with many Filipino groups in the West Coast.

In his lectures, Ka Bong presented the grim situation of Filipino workers. He discussed the extent of poverty in the Philippines. He explained the negative impact of neoliberal policies on the Philippine economy. He exposed the systematic campaign of the Arroyo government to undermine the labor movement – he cited the brutal assassination of labor leaders, the filing of false criminal charges against progressive groups, and the illegal arrest of labor lawyer Remigio Saladero.

Ka Bong was very eloquent in his speeches. Maybe he was inspired since he was always introduced as the youngest chairperson ever elected in the KMU history. Talagang mas bata siya kung ikukumpara kay Ka Bel, Ka Lando at Ka Bert.

Ka Bong used humor to clarify some concepts; he used the Filipino language when he wanted to emphasize a point (tuta ng imperalismo); and he could link the relationship of monopoly capitalism to the P125 wage hike campaign without being too academic. He was not boring; in fact he was popular with the young audience.

Ka Bong surprised some of the foreigners when he claimed that Filipino workers can explain neoliberalism by using one word: LAPIDA. (acronym for Liberalization, Privatization, Deregulation). When the non-Filipinos learned what lapida means, they nodded in agreement to the choice of the word. In another instance, Ka Bong mentioned that Filipino workers are receiving a different kind of living wage. He called it “libing wage.”

What was Ka Bong’s reaction to the victory of Barack Obama? Ka Bong reminded his listeners about the need to sustain the movement for fundamental change. He urged ordinary Americans, especially the workers, to pressure the new government to deliver reforms in governance. Ka Bong highlighted the significance of building a strong mass movement that would force Obama to consider the signing of political and economic policies in favor of the poor.

Ka Bong invited the audience, especially the Fil-Am students, to visit the Philippines. He told the young people about the relationship of the national democratic struggle in the Philippines to the global fight against imperialism.

Ka Bong attended numerous gatherings in California. I was able to listen to his lectures in San Francisco State University and UC Berkeley. Of course mayroon ding send-off party para kay ka Bong.

Ka Bong is one of the most admired leaders of the Left. He said that after finishing his term, he wanted to be a community organizer. Click here to view more pictures of Ka Bong in the USA.

http://mongpalatino.motime.com/post/735203/Leader.+Labor.+Labog


 
     
     
     
           
           
           
     
     
Video and MP3 of Interviews with KMU Chair Elmer Labog
           

 

KMU Filipino Workers Tribute (Video):
 http://vimeo.com/2471283

 

Elmer Labog's radio interview on "Voices From the Frontlines"
aired Monday, December 1, 2008
on Pacifica station 90.7 KPFK (www.kpfk.org)
Download full segment:
 http://64.27.15.184/parchive/mp3/kpfk_081201_160200voicesfromfrontlines.mp3

 

Elmer Labog's radio interview on "Freedom Now"
aired Tuesday, December 9, 2008
on Pacifica station 90.7 KPFK (www.kpfk.org)
Download full segment:
 http://archive.kpfk.org/parchive/mp3/kpfk_081209_200200freedomnow.mp3

 
           

habi arts / habi ng kalinangan
 

Linking Human Rights and Workers' Struggles In the Philippines and Around the World: The Historic Southern California Tour of KMU Chairperson Elmer "Ka Bong" Labog
 

Los Angeles – "US workers and labor unions should raise their voices against the gross human rights violations inflicted on their fellow workers, labor unions and other sectors in the Philippines," appealed Elmer "Ka Bong" Labog, the chairperson of Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) or May 1st Movement, the largest labor center in the Philippines. He spoke at the UCLA Labor Center on December 4 among a number of people from diverse ethnicities.
 

Labog was a hotel worker organizer before getting elected as Chairperson of KMU, as Vice President of the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan or BAYAN (New Patriotic Alliance) and as Second Deputy General Secretary of the International League of Peoples' Struggles (ILPS).
 

Labog's history-making tour marks the first time that a leader from KMU has been allowed to enter the United States since it was founded in 1980. Over the years, large unions in the US invited past leaders of the KMU to no avail. The steadfast militant character of the KMU is the reason why.
 

BAYAN USA, an alliance of twelve Filipino social justice organizations in the United States, helped organize Labog's three-week tour, in partnership with the Institute of East Asian Studies at the University of California at Berkeley. He made speaking engagements in San Francisco, Seattle, Vancouver in Canada, Los Angeles, Tijuana in Mexico, and San Diego.
 

"Linking Human Rights and Workers' Struggles Around the World," was the theme of Labog's talks in Southern California. It was a rare opportunity where Filipino Americans heard first-hand from an esteemed labor leader about the widespread human rights abuses and labor repression in the Philippines and their connection to the US tax dollars. Labog said, "the US military aid to the Philippines, which is the biggest in Asia, is continuing to help the repressive Arroyo regime in quelling dissent to its oppressive and anti-people policies." Since the ascension of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo into power in 2001, there had been 22 KMU members killed, and three enforced disappearances.
 

Recently, labor lawyer Remigio Saladero, chief legal counsel of KMU and Board Chairperson of the Pro-Labor Legal Assistance was arrested on false charges of murder. Saladero's baseless detention affects countless other victims of human rights abuses, as he was handling nearly 700 labor cases before various tribunals. Saladero is one of the 72 people in Southern Luzon targeted to be arrested and jailed because of trumped-up accusations.
 

These workers murders, enforced disappearances and illegal arrests are part of the unbridled human rights abuses of the government of Arroyo. To date, there are now more than a thousand extra-judicial killings, and 199 disappearances, scores are being jailed on false charges, and thousands of people in the provinces are becoming internal refugees.
 

The KMU, and its Chairperson Elmer Labog are no strangers to repression by the US-backed Philippine government. Countless leaders of KMU, such Felixberto Olalia and Crispin Beltran, were jailed for staunchly defending workers' rights. Labog was also jailed during the martial law regime of Ferdinand Marcos.
 

Labog also extended an invitation to the 25th anniversary of the International Solidarity Affair (ISA) taking place in the Philippines from April 29 to May 10, 2009. The ISA is an opportunity for labor organizers from all over the world to share the struggles in their respective countries and to network and build solidarity.
 
     
     
     
           
           

 

 
 

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