Court dismisses frustrated homicide raps vs labor organizer Banjo Cordero

The San Mateo Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 77 provisionally dismissed the frustrated homicide raps against labor organizer and activist Benjamin “Banjo” Cordero on Wednesday, November 29.

Judge Aquil Tamano dismissed the case against Cordero due to the complainant’s non-appearance in several hearings since the trial started last year, according to Defend Jobs Philippines (DJP).

“Doon sa apat na pagdinig na iyon ay never umattend ‘yung mga nag file ng kaso o ‘yung mga complainant,” Cordero said in an interview with Manila Today.

[Those who filed the case, the complainants, never attended those four hearings.]

Cordero hailed the court’s decision. While he believed from the start that the case was meant to harass him, he said that this did not deter his work as a labor rights organizer. 

“Wala namang pagbabago kasi simula nang sampahan ako ng kaso, hindi naman ako tumigil. Nagpatuloy pa rin yung trabaho ko sa gawaing pag-oorganisa sa hanay ng mga manggagawa so wala namang pagbabago,” Cordero added.

[There were no changes because since I was charged with the case, I have not stopped. My work of organizing among the workers continued.]

He noted that labor activists are still being targeted for protesting labor rights and campaigning for sustainable jobs and livable wages alongside the right to organize.

“Kung may nabago man, siguro mas napatibay yung paniniwala na dapat magpatuloy,” he added.

[If anything has changed, maybe the belief to continue this work has been strengthened.]

Cordero is the chairperson for Sandigang Manggagawa ng Quezon City (SMQC) and serves as campaign director for Defend Jobs Philippines.

Extensive, coordinated, and national’ operations vs. labor leaders

On October 25 last year, Cordero was arrested in his home in Batasan Hills, Quezon City, along with his co-accused Ricardo Cruz, Danilo Acayen Sr., Amor Reyes Acayen Sr., Melvin Pacadar Cabangan for the allegations. 

Cordero shared that he met two of the four co-accused in the case namely Acayen and Cruz for the first time.

He said that there are “extensive, coordinated, and national” crackdowns against labor leaders in the country.

“Maliban sa akin ay may iba nang nahuli, sinampahan ng gawa-gawang kaso, kinulong. Maliban diyan, marami nang nauna pang nawala, dinukot, marami nang lider-manggagawa ang pinatay,” Cordero said.

[Aside from me, others have been caught, charged with trumped-up charges, imprisoned. Other than that, many have disappeared, kidnapped, many leaders-workers have been killed.]

Last September 29, Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) organizer Jude Fernandez was gunned down in his home in Binangonan, Rizal by elements of the Philippine National Police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) alleging that he “fought back” upon serving him a search warrant.

KMU said that Fernandez is the 72nd victim of labor-related killings since 2016, and the fourth after the January 2023 International Labor Organization High-Level Tripartite Mission. Other slain labor activists include Dandy Miguel, Manny Asuncion, Alex Dolorosa and many others.

In the National Capital Region, labor organizers Mark Ryan Cruz, Jaymie Gregorio Jr., Romina Astudillo, and Joel Demate of the Human Rights Day 7 are still behind prison bars since their arrest in December 2020. Cordero’s fellow organizer in SMQC Bob Reyes is also still detained since June 2018. These activists share a similar pattern of arrests and charges of illegal possession of firearms and explosives during the Duterte administration. 

“It is crucial to highlight the gravity of the situation, as the government’s pressure on labor activists continues to undermine the pursuit of social justice and worker empowerment,” DJP said in their statement.

Cordero said he is open to filing counter-charges against the PNP-CIDG and those responsible for his unjust arrest.

“Pinag-uusapan namin yan ng abogado kung mag fi-file ng countercharges pero dahil provisional yung dismissal na in-approve kanina, aantayin namin matapos ang kaso bago mag-file ng countercharges,“ Cordero said. 

[My lawyer and I discussed if we will file countercharges but since the decision earlier was a provisional dismissal, we intend to wait for the case to be finally closed before filing countercharges.]

Following his acquittal, Cordero hoped that more workers, including the urban poor, would become organized and empowered to fight for their rights.