NBI agents hurt 24 in picket?

TARLAC CITY – A militant group has urged National Bureau of Investigation director Reynaldo Wycoco to investigate NBI agents who reportedly attacked and injured at least 24 picketing workers of a company here last Wednesday.

Roman Polintan, chairman of the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) in Central Luzon, said some 60 workers of Multiple Achievers Corp. (MAC) in Barangay Tibag here, were holding a peaceful picket in the compound of MAC, a commissary of the Cindy’s food chain, when some 20 NBI agents, armed with M-16 and M-14 rifles and caliber .45 pistols, swooped down on them without provocation.

"They violently attacked and dispersed the strikers, resulting in injuries to 24 people whom they kicked, punched and hit with rifle butts in different parts of the bodies," Polintan said.

He said some of the workers suffered severe injuries. "Since when was the NBI given the authority to meddle in labor disputes and to unlawfully use force in quelling peaceful and legitimate protest actions?" he asked.

Polintan added that the NBI agents arrested the 24 injured workers, led by union president Elmer Navarro, without first allowing them to seek medical treatment, and brought them to the NBI office here where they were locked up.

Rep. Benigno Aquino Jr. has offered to post bail for the arrested workers.

Some 180 MAC workers, 170 of whom are union members, began their strike last July 10 to protest alleged union busting by the MAC management which earlier terminated the services of 23 other workers in its delivery department. – Ding Cervantes