SANLAKAS did not Orchestrate PAL Workers' Strike

Today
November 5, 1996
Today's Mail

Recent news reports have cited that I and Sanlakas, the organization which I head, have instigated the ongoing PALEA strike. Moreover, that it is part of "calibrated mass actions" orchestrated by a leftist group sympathetic to Filemon "Popoy" Lagman which, according to intelligence sources, are designed to embarrass government. Unnamed sources have even gone so far as to say that a meeting was held last August 3 in a resort in Los Baños, Laguna attended by myself, Popoy Lagman and "Nilo de la Cruz alias Sergio Romero, chief of the Alex Boncayao Brigade." The following are my answers:

1) Was there really a meeting on August 3 and did l attend it? Yes. There actually was such a "meeting" last August 3 and 4. This "meeting," to be more exact, was held at the Batu-Bato Resort, in Calamba and not in Los Baños as reported. In fact, contrary to the assertion of the intelligence community of the military, l did not merely attend that "meeting." I presided over it. That "meeting" was the First National Congress of Sanlakas. And yes, Mr. Lagman was there as chairperson of Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino (BMP) which is one of the organizations affiliated with Sanlakas. So were Congressmen Wigberto Tañada, Edcel Lagman and Joaquin Chipeco together with more than 300 Congress delegates, government officials or their representatives, NGOs, people's organizations, media, guests and friends.

2) Did a "Nilo de la Cruz," aka Sergio Romero, attend that meeting? Our registration shows no such name nor was anyone by that name recognized as delegate, observer or guest. If indeed, as the military's  intelligence sources insist the alleged ABB chief attended that "meeting," then these officers were terribly amiss in their duties. They should have right there and then arrested the man. Although a Romero was indeed involved, his name was not Sergio, it was Mike, as in Congressman Miguel Romero, through whom Lagman sent his message to General Abadia denying involvement in any plans to sabotage or terrorize the APEC summit.,

3) If we, the leftists, referred to by "intelligence sources," were out to embarrass government before the APEC community, would it not have been more "appropriate" for the PALEA strike to be called much closer to the APEC summit? Therefore, the linkage to leftist agendas is totally unfounded and only intended to further smear the just struggle of PALEA and taint the solidarity efforts of Sanlakas with the employees and workers of PAL.

4) While I support the right of Ramos Horta to speak and that of the Filipinos to listen, please note that I am not part of the Manila People's Forum. What I am part of is the Solidarity of labor Against APEC Conference.

5) Believe it or not, if you will read the statement of Attys. Arno Sanidad and Edgardo Abaya, counsels for PALEA, the PALEA workers did not intend to go on strike to inconvenience the hapless passengers, especially on November 1.

6) Furthermore, detractors credit me with far too much influence and in the process insult the members of PALEA and demean their efforts to stand up for their rights.

In the past, I found myself in sympathy with the plight of Lucio Tan in regard to the government's handling of the management issue of PAL when it seemed to be very clear the investor who had the largest stake had the least say over matters concerning his financial exposure.

Tan also deserves some grudging admiration for his commitment to the air transport industry by plunking in huge additional capital in the face of losses wrought by previous management and competition from smaller operations. But PAL is not just about Lucio Tan. PAL is also about its employees and workers. It is not just about giving Lucio Tan a chance to pull off his plans. It must also be about giving the employees and workers of PAL the assurance that they will be around to enjoy the rewards Tan hopes to reap.

The PALEA story is not yet over. We don't know how it will end. But this early, despite all public relations efforts to the contrary, the mere fact that the Airline Pilots Association of the Philippines (ALPAP) and the Flight Attendants' and Stewards' Association of the Philippines (FASAP), both PAL unions, are in complete solidarity with PALEA, and in fact are considering going on strike themselves, strongly indicates that there is more to PAL management's contentions and DOLE's shenanigans than meets the eye.

Indeed, the points that Senate President Maceda has brought out regarding reports that PAL management has put passengers and planes at risk by shortcutting international safety standards should be looked into. In fact, he declared, "Now, for the employees not to have pay adjustments for the past four years is really something that I think is not only unfair but un-Christian."

The PALEA struggle is important not only to the riding public, Lucio Tan or the employees and workers of PAL; the struggle that is being waged is significant for all the working people of the Philippines. Job security as it is affected by the trend of businesses to resort to contractualization, with the collusion of government, is at the heart of the matter.

No amount of innuendos and lies will substitute for the truth nor dissuade us from working for causes that we believe are just.

RENATO CONSTANTINO, JR. National Chairperson Sanlakas