Labor Groups Condemn displacement of more than 900 Workers from DND-NBI Steel Plant Raids

FFW President Sonny Matula

Labor Groups Condemn displacement of more than 900 Workers from DND-NBI Steel Plant Raids

By TheNATIONWEEK.com News Desk | September 4, 2026

MANILA, Philippines – More than 900 workers across three steel and metal manufacturing companies have been left jobless after a series of joint raids by the Department of National Defense (DND), the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC), and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).

Labor organizations led by the Federation of Free Workers and the Kilusang Mayo Uno-Southern Mindanao Region have criticized the series of raids on steel plants in Mindanao and Luzon, displacing hundreds of workers without the government’s immediate support.

The DND and NBI have been leading a series of raids in steel manufacturing plants in Mindanao and Luzon, outrightly displacing workers. The grounds for the raids range from the presence of undocumented workers, mostly Chinese, to the possession and use of radioactive-bearing industrial materials and the production of substandard steel products.

FFW President Sonny Matula said workers have rights to job security, livelihood, and immediate support in the event of company closure.

He said if the primary concern for the raid is the presence of undocumented workers, officials of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) must be part of the government operations.

“We call on DOLE to lead the inspection,” said Atty. Matula in a text message.

KMU in Southern Mindanao also condemned the displacement of more than 300 workers in Davao Mighty Steel following a DND-NBI raid on the steel plant last August 13 in Barangay Ilang, Bunawan.

“If this was truly a rescue operation, where is the rescue for workers who now face unemployment, uncertainty, and the prospect of feeding their families without a steady income?” the Kilusang Mayo Uno-Southern Mindanao Region (KMU-SMR) asked.

“We stand in solidarity with the displaced Davao Mighty Steel workers and demand immediate assistance, protection of their rights, and accountability from the agencies responsible for the operation and its aftermath,” said KMU-Southern Mindanao.

The law enforcement operations, aimed at addressing alleged violations of nuclear safety and consumer protection laws, have sent shockwaves through local communities and supply chains.

At the same time, NBI agents, assisted by the Philippine National Police, ordered the shutdown of a steel manufacturing plant, Chuangxing Steel Inc., in Magalang, Pampanga, leading to job losses for 347 Filipino workers and 37 Chinese nationals.

A similar raid was also conducted last May at the Philippine Sanjia Steel Corp. plant in Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental, displacing more than 300 workers.

Across all three cases, government agencies routinely used the term “rescue” to describe the extraction of workers from the premises. For affected employees and labor groups, however, the reality was starkly different.

Despite the massive job displacement, NBI Director Melvin Matibag warned during an August 25 press conference that approximately 20 more steel plants nationwide are currently under scrutiny for potential product and workplace safety violations.

“The efforts being made by the NBI, PAOCC, and other law enforcement agencies will not end in Davao; we will also go to other places,” Matibag said. (“Ang ginagawang effort ng NBI at PAOCC at other law enforcement agencies will not end in Davao, pupuntahan din namin yung mga ibang lugar pa,” Matibag said.)

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