Guard killed, 3 colleagues hurt at steel workers’ picket

MANILA, Philippines - A guard was killed and three other guards were wounded when protesting workers reportedly pushed them into the path of a truck going out of a steel firm’s compound in Quezon City on Saturday.

Security guard Carlos Yanez died due to body injuries following the incident outside the compound of Pentagon Steel Corp. at past 1 p.m. in Barangay Apolonio Samson, said Superintendent Osmundo de Guzman, commander of the Quezon City Police District (QCPD) Station 1.

De Guzman said security guards Ruben Gutierez and Marlon Aquino were severely injured. Another guard, Jerry Saranggani, sustained minor injuries.

He said the guards were attempting to clear the way for the company’s Isuzu Forward truck, driven by Rodel Sungalia, as it was about to go out of the compound.

“But protesters concertedly acted and deliberately pushed the victims (security guards) who fell on the pavement and (were) accidentally ran over by the said truck,” De Guzman said.

The police official said the workers – and the driver – quickly fled. The workers face criminal charges for the incident, he said.

De Guzman identified Rodelio Dinong, Henry Poquilla, and Wilson Prias as among those at the picket line.

In his report to QCPD director Senior Superintendent Richard Albano, De Guzman said Yanez was declared dead at the Quezon City General Hospital at 7:27 p.m. Saturday.

But as early as 4 p.m. Saturday, militant groups like the Kilusang Mayo Uno (through a press release) and the youth group Anakbayan (through its Twitter account) had already proclaimed that a security guard had died. Both groups did not identify the guard but condemned the incident.

The workers had been picketing outside the steel firm’s compound since March. The KMU said the firm used an injunction issued by the Department of Labor and Employment to disperse the workers.

According to the KMU, the management had the truck run over the workers and had them pelted with rocks and containers of acid.