The labor group Kilusang Mayo Uno recently protested at the Welcome Rotonda in Manila to demand an “immediate, independent and transparent” investigation into the fire that engulfed the House Technology Industries factory in Cavite, resulting in the deaths of three workers and injuries to more than a hundred others.
“Without truth, there can be no justice. We condemn the HTI, PEZA (Philippine Export Zone Authority) and the Cavite LGU for their apparent cover-up on what could be the worst workplace tragedy in history,” KMU secretary general Jerome Adonis said.
Over a week since the HTI fire, information on the circumstances on the incident and the actual number of casualties “remain hidden to the public” as the HTI management, the PEZA and the provincial government of Cavite “attempt to whitewash their culpability,” he added.