Submitted by KMU S. Mindanao on Mon, 2006/12/18 - 10:23am.
DAVAO CITY—At around 12:30 in the afternoon today, after less than 48 hours at the Intensive Care Unit, Gerson Lastimoso, member of Nagkahiusang Mamumuo sa Suyapa Farm (NAMASAN-NAFLU-KMU), was declared dead by doctors at the Davao Regional Hospital here.
Lastimoso was one of the five workers of NAMASUFA-NAFLU-KMU who were waylaid early morning of December 15 at Brgy. New Alegria, Compostela. He was with Vicente Barrios, president of the union; Andres Lagare, the union’s vice president; Aldin Cortez, member of the board of directors, and; union member Doniglenn Sundon.
Barrios sustained gunshot wounds in his left arm while Cortez was hit in his upper right back. Sundon was hit in his throat that penetrated to the other side and is still in critical condition. Lagare did not sustain any shot wounds.
Omar Bantayan, secretary general of Kilisang Mayo Uno-Southern Mindanao, said, ”We hoped the incident would not cost any of the lives of the victims. Gerson was still in critical condition yesterday but is able to respond to pain. When the news broke about his death, a few hours ago, we were shocked and grew angry over this senseless injustice. We denounce in the strongest terms this hostility against struggling workers.”
Barrios was able to give comment about Gerson’s death. Deeply saddened by the news, he lamented, ”The object of the gunmen was clearly me. I was riding with Gerson that morning and knew that if he were not there, the killers would have peppered me with bullets. I will forever be indebted to Gerson for his heroism and unrelenting struggle for the cause of banana workers in Compostela.”
The four workers fetched Barrios the morning of the waylaying as a precaution resolved by the union following a series of attempts against Barrios’ life. They rode on convoy to the packing plant in the morning and took Barrios home in the afternoon for more than a month before the incident.
Lastimoso’s death puts the toll of politically-motivated killings of union leaders and members to 32. Bantayan said that KMU-SMR are gearing up for a series of protest actions in the next days to condemn this blatant and murderous repression to workers and the militant trade unionism.
Lastimoso was one of the five workers of NAMASUFA-NAFLU-KMU who were waylaid early morning of December 15 at Brgy. New Alegria, Compostela. He was with Vicente Barrios, president of the union; Andres Lagare, the union’s vice president; Aldin Cortez, member of the board of directors, and; union member Doniglenn Sundon.
Barrios sustained gunshot wounds in his left arm while Cortez was hit in his upper right back. Sundon was hit in his throat that penetrated to the other side and is still in critical condition. Lagare did not sustain any shot wounds.
Omar Bantayan, secretary general of Kilisang Mayo Uno-Southern Mindanao, said, ”We hoped the incident would not cost any of the lives of the victims. Gerson was still in critical condition yesterday but is able to respond to pain. When the news broke about his death, a few hours ago, we were shocked and grew angry over this senseless injustice. We denounce in the strongest terms this hostility against struggling workers.”
Barrios was able to give comment about Gerson’s death. Deeply saddened by the news, he lamented, ”The object of the gunmen was clearly me. I was riding with Gerson that morning and knew that if he were not there, the killers would have peppered me with bullets. I will forever be indebted to Gerson for his heroism and unrelenting struggle for the cause of banana workers in Compostela.”
The four workers fetched Barrios the morning of the waylaying as a precaution resolved by the union following a series of attempts against Barrios’ life. They rode on convoy to the packing plant in the morning and took Barrios home in the afternoon for more than a month before the incident.
Lastimoso’s death puts the toll of politically-motivated killings of union leaders and members to 32. Bantayan said that KMU-SMR are gearing up for a series of protest actions in the next days to condemn this blatant and murderous repression to workers and the militant trade unionism.
