Workers Against Warlords in the Philippines

Last week's massacre of at least 57 politicians, journalists, and innocent bystanders in the province of Maguindanao in the southern Philippines has galvanized the country's labor movement to fight government-sanctioned warlords. The Maguindanao massacre is the largest mass killing of journalists in history.

A coalition of labor unions is demanding an end to the prevailing culture of impunity. The man suspected of being behind last week's massacre is a powerful local tribal leader and a key ally of President Gloria Arroyo.

Chally of Feministe has a good summary of the massacre and its aftermath. She notes that the lead suspect is currently in custody. If he ultimately goes to jail, he will be the first journalist-killer in Filipino history. Scores of working reporters have been killed in the country since President Arroyo came to power in 2001.

Comments

[Mariposa Alliance]

See AF3IRM statement on massacre at www.globalsister.org

[Jeffrey Daniel Rubard]

An official outcry against this long ago in the Commonwealth of Canada, no doubt. Don't tell Dylan Sabo, Lindsay; he'll just "cotton" to it later.