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Statement of Associated Labor Unions-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (ALU-TUCP) on the attempted ambush of Jessielou Cadungog
Police ambush of Cebu labor leader chills labor movement.
The Statement of Mr. Michael C. Mendoza, National President of the Associated Labor Unions-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines on the attempted assassination of Labor Leader Jessielou Cadungog.
This morning in the vicinity of Barangay Tejero and the Oriental Port and Allied Services Corporation (OPASCOR), there was an ambush engineered apparently against the life of Mr. Jessielou Cadungog. There is an information that the Philippine National Police in Cebu are owning up to the incident as a legitimate police operation.
The gunman who was killed in the cnounter was identified as PO2 Eugene Alcain Calumba. The accomplice who was taken into custody by the PNP was Michael Banua. Now, the PNP is trying to portray the assassination attempt on Mr. Cadungog as a legitimate police operation identifying him as a “person-in-interest” involved in shabu. “We stand by Mr. Cadungog and condemn this sordid attempt to justify and cover-up for what is clear police involvement.
This is something that we should not allow. Mr. Cadungog is a respected Labor Leader. He is also the Vice-Chairman of OPASCOR, one of the largest workers’ enterprises in the country. He recently won in the election as a Councilor of Barangay Tejero of which he was formerly the Barangay Captain.
We ask the national Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to assume jurisdiction of the case as we fear the PNP in Cebu o9r Elements thereof may have had a hand in the event. We ask for all of our Law Enforcement Authorities to respect due process and the rule of law.
“We cannot keep our silence in the face of the impunity that so-called police operations create for labor and all decent society. Particularly when they act as Judge, Jury and Executioner,” Mendoza said.
This will have a chilling effect on our democracy and create a climate of fear. Let us join hands to go to the bottom of this sad and tragic affair.
Associated Labor Unions-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (ALU-TUCP)
• Inquirer, July 30,2018 - 04:39 PM:
http://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/186928/read-statement-associated-labor-unions-trade-union-congress-philippines-alu-tucp-attempted-ambush-jessielou-cadungog#ixzz5NiMERS8z
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BWI condemns assassination attempt against Filipino labour leader
The BWI strongly condemns the assassination attempt against labour leader Mr. Jessielou Cadungog earlier this week in Cebu, Philippines.
The BWI affiliated Associated Labor Unions (ALU) have received information that the Philippine National Police are admitting responsibility for the attempt, identifying Cadungog as a “person of interest”; allegedly involved in the drug trade.
“The culture of vigilante justice that has developed around the drug war in the Philippines is having a toxic effect on human rights and workers’rsquo; rights in the country,” said BWI’s general secretary Ambet Yuson. “We condemn these attacks on trade unionists and other activists, whose lives are being put in extreme danger without any evidence, due process under the law or democratic rights. This must end.”
The gunman was killed in the encounter; however, it was only after his accomplice was taken into custody that the police attempted to portray the events as a legitimate police operation. ALU has issued a strong statement noting that Mr. Cadungog had recently won a local government election to become councilor of Barangay Tejero. They called on the National Bureau of Investigation to assume jurisdiction of the case so that an independent investigation could take place.
At the BWI 4th World Congress that was held in Durban in December 2017;a resolution was passed condemning extra-judicial killings in the Philippines. It called for the administration to “end, investigate and punish perpetrators of extrajudicial killings”
National President of ALU-TUCP Michael C Mendoza said: “We cannot keep our silence in the face of the impunity that so-called police operations create for” labour and all decent society. Particularly when they act as Judge, Jury, and Executioner. This will have a chilling effect on our democracy and create a climate of fear. Let us join hands to go to the bottom of this sad and tragic affair."
BWI, Building and Wood Workers’ International
Failed assassination: Gunman is antidrug cop
CEBU CITY — A village councilor survived an assassination attempt early on Monday and his bodyguards were able to kill one of the assailants — an antidrug police officer.
An accomplice of the officer, an antidrug asset, was arrested.
Jesselou Cadungog, village councilor of Tejero, was unhurt and sought the help of Mayor Tomas Osmeña and the National Bureau of Investigation.
He was riding a Toyota FJ Cruiser when the assailant, PO3 Eugene Alcain Calumba, drove his motorcycle near the councilor’s P3-million vehicle and opened fire.
Cadungog’s bodyguards returned fire, killing Calumba, a member of the Drug Enforcement Unit of the Parian Police Station in the city.
His alleged accomplice, Michael Banua, a police asset, was arrested.
Twist
The story took a bizarre twist when the Central Visayas police sought to turn the tables on Cadungog, saying it was the village official and his bodyguards who attacked Calumba.
Chief Supt. Debold Sinas, head of the Central Visayas police, ordered the arrest of Cadungog and his bodyguards for allegedly attacking Calumba.
Sinas said Calumba was the victim and Banua witnessed the attack on the policeman.
Sinas’ declaration prompted Cadungong to seek protection from the NBI Central Visayas office.
“Why am I the suspect now when I was supposed to be the target of an assassination plot?” he said.
Cops involved
Cadungog comes from a village being monitored for drugs.
A gun registered to him had been recovered from SPO1 Adonis Dumpit, who was killed by policemen in Tagbilaran City when he tried to resist arrest for involvement in the drug trade in Bohol province.
The failed assassination of Cadungog could be the second such case involving a policeman as the suspected assassin.
Early this month, PO2 Melvin Mocorro was briefly jailed in Iloilo City after he was tagged by another policeman, PO1 Dorben Acap, as the one who tried to kill him.
Acap was suspected of involvement in drugs.
Cadungog said he earlier received a text message saying he would be the next assassination target. This prompted him to change his routine, Cadungog said.
So on Monday, Cadungog said he asked his bodyguards to drop him off near the village hall and he would just walk.
But a few minutes after Cadungog was dropped off, two men on a motorcycle drove up to his side, according to one of Cadungog’s aides who asked not to be identified for security reasons.
Saved from mob
When the aide noticed that one of the men on the motorcycle was pulling a gun, he shot at the man who turned out to be Calumba.
Banua, an anticrime volunteer who was driving the motorcycle, managed to run but village guards and bystanders caught him and beat him up.
Councilor Dave Tumulak, deputy mayor on police matters, who was in the area, said he responded to the commotion.
Tumulak said he saved Banua from the mob and brought him to a hospital.
After Banua was treated, Tumulak said he was bringing the suspect to the regional NBI office when Senior Insp. Joemar Pomajeros, chief of the Waterfront Police Station, intervened and said Banua should be brought to Pomajeros’ office for “recording.”
Surprised
Tumulak said he was surprised when Pomajeros grabbed Banua and brought him to the Central Visayas office of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG).
“Why are they doing this? I was the arresting officer so to speak and yet the police got one of the suspects,” Tumulak said.
“There should have been a proper turnover,” he added.
Only witness
Sinas, the regional police chief, went to the CIDG office, talked to Banua and later told reporters that Banua was not a suspect but a “witness” in the crime.
Sinas said Cadungog was the primary suspect in the killing of Calumba. Calumba, Sinas said, was conducting surveillance operations in Tejero.
DEAD GUNMAN PO3 Eugene Alcain Calumba, of the Drug Enforcement Unit of the Parian Police Station, lies lifeless beside his motorcycle after bodyguards of Cadungog were able to fire back when the policeman allegedly tried to assassinate the village councilor.
Sinas ordered a manhunt for Cadungog. “For now, Cadungog is our suspect. He was the gunman because he owns the vehicle,” Sinas said.
Banua, the police director said, would not face any charge. “I have to protect my only witness in the crime,” Sinas said.
Mayor Tomas Osmeña expressed disgust over Sinas’ version of the case.
“This is ridiculous. Now we know the truth,” Osmeña said.
“The police are very much involved in these crimes. I suspect that is what’s happening in the city right now,” he said.
“The suspect here is the police, not Cadungog,” the mayor said.
“He was ambushed and now there’s a manhunt for him? I don’t know what to say. I don’t have the answers but I don’t like what’s happening and the police are clearly the suspect. I don’t think they are immune from public scrutiny,” he added.
If police would insist that Cadungog was the suspect, Osmeña said police would be “lying through their teeth.”
Ador Vincent S. Mayol, Jessa Mae O. Sotto - @inquirerdotnet
• Philippine Daily Inquirer / 05:18 AM July 31, 2018:
: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1016014/failed-assassination-gunman-is-antidrug-cop#ixzz5NiQBJvdv
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