AN alliance of the country’s top business and labor organizations has called on President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to take decisive action to strengthen freedom of association, improve accountability mechanisms, and ensure policy coherence in the protection of workers’ rights.
In a joint open letter dated May 28, the Leaders Forum stressed that freedom of association remains a fundamental right guaranteed by the Constitution and by international labor standards, particularly International Labor Organization (ILO) Convention 87.
The signatories are Edgardo Lacson, chairman, Employers Confederation of the Philippines; Ferdinand Ferrer, president, Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Sergio Ortiz-Luiz Jr., president, Philippine Exporters Confederation, Inc.; Jose Sonny Matula, national president, Federation of Free Workers; Abdulani Lakibul, chairman, Sentro ng mga Nagkakaisa at Progresibong Manggagawa (Sentro); and Raymond Democrito Mendoza, president, Trade Union Congress of the Philippines.
The signatories acknowledged the government’s efforts to address labor rights concerns, including the issuance of Executive Order (EO) 23 following recommendations from the ILO High-Level Tripartite Mission.
However, they warned that reports of violence, intimidation and alleged extrajudicial killings involving workers and trade unionists continue to raise serious concerns that require stronger and more effective government intervention.
The group urged the Inter-Agency Committee created under EO 23 to adopt and publish a clear operational framework, establish performance indicators, and regularly report on investigations, prosecutions and resolutions of labor-related cases.
The Leaders Forum also called for a sustained and institutionalized dialogue mechanism between government, employers and workers to strengthen transparency, accountability and public trust.
On EO 97, which seeks to address national security concerns, the coalition emphasized that implementation must remain fully consistent with constitutional guarantees and international labor standards.
The group stressed that measures carried out under EO 97 should not result in red-tagging, profiling, or unwarranted surveillance of legitimate labor organizations and their representatives.
It further urged the government to strengthen oversight mechanisms and ensure that lawful trade union activities are never mistaken for security threats.
The coalition likewise renewed its call for a serious and transparent review of the continued operation of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict, citing concerns over alleged red-tagging, intimidation and the possible impact of its activities on labor rights and industrial relations.
