Gaite is Courage’s legitimate chief—affiliates

This is a response to Bea Colores’ letter which claimed that Ferdinand Gaite could not legitimately lead the Confederation for Unity, Recognition and Advancement of Government Employees (Courage), a national organization of government employees. (Inquirer, 6/18/09) As affiliate unions of Courage, we feel that we have the duty to answer her.

Firstly, Colores does not have the right to question the legitimacy of Gaite as Courage’s national president, unless she is part of the organization. Which we doubt since she did not specify her affiliation in her letter. But for her enlightenment, Gaite was legitimately elected to that position during the national congress of Courage in December 2006.

And where could Colores have gotten the idea that Gaite was repeatedly disowned by Courage when not a single complaint against the latter has ever been formally submitted to the general assembly or the national secretariat? In fact, Courage affiliates have repeatedly elected him into office for three consecutive terms (a total of nine years). This only shows that Gaite has the full confidence of government employees.

The allegations that Gaite could not represent a sector is completely baseless. For Colores’ information, Gaite was a public servant himself for almost two decades. He was the division chief of the Management Information System of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration before he resigned from government service in 2003.

His expertise in the field of public sector was even recognized by the Congressional Oversight Committee on Labor and Employment (COCLE) which, through the office of the late Rep. Crispin Beltran, hired him as consultant. His membership did not end with his resignation from OWWA. Like any GSIS member, he has all the right to criticize the managers of GSIS if he feels that its funds are being misused or mismanaged.

Courage’s constitution and by-laws accommodates former government employees who have dedicated their time and efforts to fighting for the interests of their sector and of the Filipino people as honorary members with the same rights as members in active service. Gaite sacrificed possible promotions and a hefty pay when he left OWWA to devote his time fully to serving his fellow government employees.

Lastly, it is shocking to hear Colores assailing Cheche Lazaro and others for protecting the interests of GSIS members who have suffered so much because of the mismanagement of GSIS’ general manager Winston Garcia and top officials. The complaints against the GSIS management did not come out of nowhere; it stemmed from the myriad of cases of non-posting of contributions and payments of fund owners and questionable GSIS investments, to cite a few. The way Colores defends the GSIS top officials, it would seem that she is benefiting from the mismanagement in the agency, and yet it is not even clear in her letter if she is a GSIS member or pensioner.–Philippine Daily Inquirer

—SANTIAGO DASMARIÑAS JR.,
secretary general, Courage;
HILARIO TAN, vice president, NFAEA-Courage;
ROSE NARTATES, president, CUE-NHA-Courage;
ELVIRA PRUDENCIO, president, DOLEEU-Courage;
JONEL OSIO, president, Sandigan-Courage;
ERWIN LANUZA, president, Kasamaka QC-Courage;
ROSARIO DEBLOIS, president, ACE of PFDA-Courage;
ALEXANDER TRANCE, president, League-Courage