Government workers seek Supreme Court protection from state agents’ harassment

From the Business World (Jul 14): Government workers seek Supreme Court protection from state agents’ harassment

THE Confederation for Unity, Recognition and Advancement of Government Employees (COURAGE) has asked the Supreme Court to issue a protection order from the harassment of state agents, who accuse them of alleged ties with the Communist Party of the Philippines.

In a 41-page petition, the government workers’ union sought a writ of amparo to protect their life, liberty, and security from harassment and threats by the state.

The 22 union leaders also asked for a writ of habeas data that would order the government, police, and the military to disclose and destroy information it was able to gather.

The petition said the union leaders were subjected to threats and harassment from people who identified themselves as policemen or soldiers, being accused of ties with the Communist Party of the Philippines and the New People’s Army.

“In many instances, the Petitioners were told that their activities are anti-government and illegal and that they should cooperate with the military,” the petition read. “The message is rather clear: the Petitioners are being harassed and threatened because of their political affiliations and/or their organizational work.”

As to their request for the writ of habeas data, the petition argued that the threats, intimidation and constant surveillance clearly indicate that the government possesses information it has “unlawfully compiled and are using as basis in the cited spate of attacks.”

In an interview with reporters, COURAGE National President Ferdinand R. Gaite said that at least one of their members, Carlo “Caloy” Rodriguez, president of the Nagkakaisang Lakas ng Manggagawa ng Calamba Water District, was killed under the administration of President Benigno S.C. Aquino III.

The National Union of People’s Lawyers noted in a statement that the petitioners’ accounts show “the grisly pattern bearing the hallmarks of military and police intelligence operations conducted to stifle dissent.”

“Some of them were personally approached by people introducing themselves as soldiers who offered them ’help’ in light of an ambiguous threat to their lives,” NUPL said.

Named as respondents were President Benigno S.C. Aquino III, Department of National Defense Secretary Voltaire T. Gazmin, Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff Hernando Delfin Carmelo A. Iriberri, AFP Chief of the Intelligence Service Arnold M. Quiapo, recently-retired Philippine National Police officer-in-charge Leonardo A. Espina, National Capital Region Police Office Regional Director Carmelo E. Valmoria, Manila Police District Acting Director Rolando Z. Nana, Manila Police Station 8 Commander Nicolas S. Piñon, and Manila Police Station 8 Intelligence Section Chief Alfredo F. Agbuya.

Rodriguez’s death in 2010 was only one of the 238 extrajudicial killings recorded by human rights group Karapatan under the Aquino administration.

http://www.bworldonline.com/content.php?section=Nation&title=government-workers-seek-supreme-court-protection-from-state-agents&8217-harassment&id=111626