Bu-lat-lat (boo-lat-lat) verb: to search, probe, investigate, inquire; to unearth facts Volume IV, Number 7 March 14 - 20, 2004 Quezon City, Philippines |
NEWS AT A GLANCE POW release is a two-way process — Ka RogerA
March 14 statement of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) said that
family of Pfc Ronel Lemeño, a prisoner of war (POW) of the New People's
Army (NPA) in Camarines Sur, called for the immediate suspension of military
operations (SOMO) in the province. According
to the statement, Lemeño's fiancee Irene Agno had expressed concern on the
continued operations by the Philippine Army's 42nd and 31st Infantry Battalions
and 9th Scout Ranger Company in the province in an interview over Naga
City-based radio station DZLL last week. In
a separate interview with the same radio station, CPP spokesman Gregorio
"Ka Roger" Rosal assured Agno that Lemeño, as well as his fellow POW
Lt. Ronaldo Fedelino, are being treated well by their NPA custodians. Lemeño
and Fedelino were captured in an ambush at Barangay Bataan, Tinambac last March
2. Rosal
however said that the release of POWs is "a two-way process." He said
that the "speedy release of the two depends primarily on the how soon the
Arroyo government will initiate negotiations and come to terms with the NDF (National
Democratic Front) over the release." *
* * No compromise on justice“Offering
virtual freedom for big thieves like Estrada to enjoy house arrest is totally a
mockery of justice!” Thus said the Promotion of Church People’s Response (PCPR)
March 12 in reaction to the joint Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) and El Shaddai
statement of allowing Joseph Estrada to enjoy virtual house arrest is acceptable
in the light of ‘charity and compassion.’ “Christian
compassion requires no compromise on justice,” Rev. Fr. Allan Jose Arcebuche,
OFM, PCPR national co-chairperson said. “We oppose compromises in the Estrada
plunder case, we refuse Malacañang’s manipulations in distorting our sense of
humanitarian concerns to justify extra-special privileges for Estrada.” Arcebuche,
however, clarified that humanitarian treatment such as much-needed medical
treatment for prisoners in very specific cases may be offered. He
also said that the Arroyo government “virtually allowed” a house arrest for
the ousted president “in the hope of earning votes from Estrada’s
supporters.” PCPR further accused Malacañang of using religious groups to
project an illusion of Arroyo’s popularity such as the March 16 luncheon
meeting at the palace. Arcebuche was one of the complainants in Plunderwatch’s charges against President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. *
* * RFM-Swift
workers demand DTI probe on ‘misleading’ Swift products Striking
workers of RFM-Swift Foods, Inc. in Cabuyao, Laguna called on the Department of
Trade and Industry (DTI) in a statement March 15 to investigate and, if
possible, penalize the company for its alleged sale of uncertified products. RFM-Swift
Meat Workers Union president Fabian Cantalejo said that since the Cabuyao plant
had stopped its operations after their strike on November 2001, “the company
continued production of Swift meat products in eight toll packing subcontracted
companies in various places which operations are not equal to the quality
RFM-SFI produces which is of ISO (International Standards Organization (ISO)
9002 certified quality.” "This
is a very grave betrayal of the Filipino consumers’ trust,” Cantalejo said.
“It is unfair both to the consumers and to us…who have worked for 20 years
to achieve the quality that has earned ISO 9002 certification.” Strikers
also questioned how the DTI seemed to allow the sale of the products produced
under uncertified plants. Strikers
were set to stage a camp-out this week in front of the DTI office to push acting
secretary Purisima De Jesus into facing the workers' questions and allegations. Meanwhile,
the same statement said that RFM-Swift CEO Jose Concepcion III and the rest of
the management have refused to negotiate with the union. The statement also said
the management has not complied with the National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC)
decisions of April 16 and September 26, 2003 instructing the company to give the
workers’ unpaid 13th month pay and November 2001 salary,
respectively. Based
on the Kilusang Mayo Uno records, the lock-out in 2001 has affected 300, who
worked for the company for 20 years, or over 1,500 families. RFM-SFI workers
staged the strike on the ground of alleged unfair labor practice when the
management refused to enter collective bargaining negotiations (CBNs),
retrenched 150 workers and dismissed active union officers during CBNs. Bulatlat.com We want to know what you think of this article.
|
|