The BPO Industry Employees’ Network (BIEN) is calling for justice for a call center agent who was found dead in Purok Villa Rosario, Barangay Alijis in Bacolod City at about 5:40 a.m. Monday, April 24.
The police identified the victim as Alex Dolorosa, 35, of Cadiz City, who sustained about 15 stab wounds.
His body was found in a small bamboo house beside a sugarcane field.
Dolorosa was a paralegal officer and union organizer of BIEN Philippines Bacolod chapter. He was also a national council member of BIEN and has been instrumental in the chapter building of BIEN Bacolod, a statement from the group said Tuesday, April 25.
“The BPO Industry Employees Network abhors and condemns in the strongest form the treacherous murder of Alex Dolorosa,” it said.
The manner of his murder reflects on the state of lawlessness and never-ending culture of impunity in the country, it added.
“The motive surrounding his death cannot hide simply on personal reasons knowing his current paralegal work with BPO workers. As a union organizer, it is terribly callous to underestimate the motive for his murder,” the BIEN statement said.
The state of lawlessness is not good for business in the country, it said.
“Our security, as BPO workers, are always put at risk whenever we commute to work at night. The murder of Alex only underscores this risk and the gov’t remains blind and deaf to our working conditions. This is on top of the prevalent red-tagging and vilification by state forces,” it added.
“BIEN Philippines is demanding from the government to ensure the safety, security, and protection to all BPO workers,” it said, as it called for a halt to attacks against union organizers.
The police said they were looking at a holdup as the possible motive for the killing as the motorcycle, cellphone and other personal belongings of the victim were missing.
PCol. Noel Calderon Aliño, Bacolod acting police director, said he would look into the killing of Dolorosa.*