TESTIGO November-December 2010 issue

HRDS head documentor cries foul over ‘mission order’, fabricated charges. DAVAO CITY – The head documentor of the Human Rights Documentation System Project (HRDS) in Southern Mindanao
cries foul over trumped-up charges filed against him and revealed an order allegedly released by the Philippine Army to liquidate him.

Army Continues Harassment of Witnesses in the Bayles Murder Case.Two vital witnesses in the Benjie Bayles murder case are
continually being harassed and intimidated by elements of the
Philippine Army. These witnesses are public school teacher
Manuel Bayles (50), brother of Benjie Bayles and complainant-witness in
the murder case, and farmer Vilma Espinosa Tejada who is also a witness
in the same case.

Workers ask gov’t to reverse labor secretary’s decision on PAL . Bacolod City – Militant labor center Kilusang Mayo Uno Negros (KMU Negros) called the Oct. 29 decision of labor secretary Rosalinda Baldoz allowing the retrenchment of 2,600 workers of Philippine Airlines (PAL) as “treachery” to the interest of Filipino working class and a sell-out of workers’ rights to local and foreign capitalist.   KMU Negros todaimmediately

Reduction Scheme per flight: PAL makes money to the tune of Php 141 Million a year at the expense of the flight attendants. Flight Attendants and Stewards Association of the Philippines (FASAP)   cited documents detailing PAL’s plans to reduce Cabin Crew Complement per aircraft type that would result to a whopping “P141,306,729.17” savings a year. This program will be realized at the expense of the flight attendants who are now working double-time due to the reduced number of flight attendants per aircraft.

Water activists denounce recent killing of water district union leader. RODRIGUEZ IS THIRD ANTI-WATER PRIVATIZATION ADVOCATE KILLED SINCE 2002. National water campaign group Water for the People Network (WPN) denounces the killing of Carlo ‘Caloy’ Rodriguez, president of the workers’ union of the Calamba Water District, who was shot dead while on his way home on November 12 by unidentified motorcycle-riding men.

Luzon  peasants demand immediate relief for farmers affected by typhoon Juan. In commemoration of Peasant Month, militant farmers from all over Luzon under the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) marched from the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) in Quezon City to the historic Mendiola Bridge to once again demand for genuine agrarian reform.

HRDS Project Update: Trainors Trainings held in second half 2010. In 2010, five trainors training were conducted among all partner regions of the Human Rights Documentation System (HRDS) project. The trainings also became a venue for further consultation and reporting of targets and activities. Partner organizations held concluding meetings to assess the HRDS, as the project nears its conclusion in December 2010.