Ex-Porters cries injustice

Jun Ariolo N. Aguirre, Mary Mae Bautista, Winston Carillo

New Washington, Aklan- Thirteen former porters under the Eagle Ports Incorporated based in Barangay Dumaguit, New Washington Aklan have decried injustice and asked the Philippine Ports Authority to act for their behalf.

In an exclusive interview, Orly D. Candelario, 67, the former chief porter and one of the complainants said that David R. Simon, manager of the Legal Services Department of the Philippine Ports Authority in Manila have asked the management of the Eagle Ports Incorporated represented by its president and respondent Nole Marie Diestro Salazar for the prompt payment of wages, overtime and benefits of the complainants.

In their position paper, complainants aver that they had been working with the company when itsbusiness name was still Diestro Stevedoring Porterage Services. It was incorporated in 1994 and most of its workers were absorbed by EPI.

“Atty. Christine Candelario dela Cruz (counsel for the complainants) has furnished us your guidance and appropriate consideration consistent with PPA Administrative Order No. 10-81, particularly Section 7.05 thereof on the promptpayment of wages, overtime, benefits, etc. In favor of labor which subsists as one of the terms and conditions of your continued authority to operate the cargo handling services in the port of Dumaguit,” said Simon.

On January 20, 2004 the National Labor Relations Commission issued a decision and final order on behalf of the 13 former porters asking the Eagle Ports Incorporated represented by Nole Marie D. Salazar, guilty of illegal dismissal.

Rene Eñano, Labor Arbiter ordered Salazar to pay the complainants the sum of P1, 916, 456.76 as compensation for the former porters who were illegally dismissed from the service.

Rommel B. Elejorde, 42 one of the former porters in Dumaguit Port said that they were illegally dismissed from the service by Salazar after they served as witnesses for the shooting to death of company President Raymund Rodriguez.

It could be recalled that Rodriguez was shot to death by the suspect Atty. Benito Salazar in Dumaguit Port. Because of the incident, Salazar was filed a homicide case and is now under bail.

“On January 20, 2004, the NLRC serves its notice of decision/final order and for two years and a half we are still waiting to be paid by the management of the Eagle Ports Incorporated and we hope that the PPA will now do something about this. In the matter of fact, two of our co-complainants were already dead and most of us are jobless and suffering from heavy burdens in our daily lives,” Elejorde and Candelario said.

The complainants said they wanted the PPA to compel the Eagle Ports Management to finally pay the former of their dues because indirectly the stevedoring and porterage services are being supervised by the Philippine Ports Authority