BY BULATLAT
A labor leader based in Laguna survived assassination attempt by suspected state agents, the Center for Trade Union and Human Rights (CTUHR) reported.
Arnold C. Cerdo, vice-president of Sensous Union Labor Organization-IND and staff of Cabuyao Workers Alliance, and his brother-in-law Juanito Dacillo were shot at by two men wearing bonnets and fatigue jackets around 9:30 p.m., November 5.
Cerdo and Dacillo were talking at the terrace of their residence at the Riverside in Calamba City, Laguna when Dacillo noticed the two gunmen. He shouted, “May dalawang lalaking nakabonet!” (There are two men wearing bonnets.) One of the men fired them several gunshots using a .45 caliber gun.
Human rights groups observed that many of the perpetrators of extra-judicial killings in the country are motorcycle-riding men wearing ski masks or bonnets.
The CTUHR account related that a bullet almost hit Cerdo’s face.
Daisy Arago, CTUHR executive director blamed the Arroyo government for the incident. “The government is really desperate to silence the workers and activists who are fighting for their rights. This is a clear case of frustrated extra-judicial killing.”
According to the CTUHR and human rights group Karapatan (Alliance for the Advancement of People’s Rights), 87 workers have been killed since 2001.(Bulatlat.com)
