MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Justice has created special investigating team to look into the killing of labor leader Dandy Miguel who was gunned down on March 28 in Laguna.
Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra on Wednesday said that although the motive behind the killing of Miguel remains unclear at this point, the Administrative Order 35 technical working group noted that he was an active union leader when he was murdered.
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The AO 35 committee, the body which looks into extrajudicial killings, also considered that the “method of attack showed a deliberate intent to kill,” Guevarra added.
“[T]he AO 35 technical working group has recommended the creation of a special investigating team under the aegis of the AO 35 committee to conduct a more thorough probe [into] the incident and establish the identity of the perpetrators,” the DOJ chief added.
Guevarra explained that a DOJ prosecutor will lead the investigating team, which includes the National Bureau of Investigation, for the case build-up. The team may collaborate with the Commission on Human Rights if necessary, he added.
Killings, arrests of Calabarzon and Central Luzon activists
Miguel is the tenth activist killed in Calabarzon province in March alone. He was the vice chairperson of Pagkakaisa ng Manggagawa sa Timog (Pamantik-KMU) and an active member of KMU.
He was shot eight times, while he was on his way home. When he was gunned down, Miguel was wearing his red union shirt that bore the words: “Sahod. Trabaho. Karapatan. Ipaglaban.”
The murder happened three weeks after the simultaneous dawn police raids in three provinces in Calabarzon that left nine dead and six arrested.
Two days after Miguel’s killing, Anakbayan Southern Tagalog reported that cops raided the office of Alyansa ng mga Manggagawa sa Enklabo (AMEN) in Sta. Rosa, Laguna. They claimed that the police planted guns in the office as evidence.
Earlier on Tuesday, KMU also reported that its vice chairperson for Central Luzon Florentino Viuya and Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas vice chairperson Joseph Canlas were arrested in separate raids.