Baldoz unfazed over Ombudsman case

LABOR Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz dismissed Sunday the case filed against her and two other labor officials by former senator Ernesto Herrera before the Office of the Ombudsman.

Baldoz promised to submit herself to the investigation process, as she denied meddling in the affairs of the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP), whose leadership is being contested by Herrera’s group.

Also charged last Friday were Undersecretary Rebecca Chato and Director Romeo Montefalco.

“I am confident that truth will set us free and that justice and righteousness will prevail,” she said.

TUCP spokesman Alan Tanjusay, for his part, said the complaint will not prosper as Herrera is allegedly “working against the truth.”

“He has been rejected by TUCP members, despised by labor groups, and now invites dejection by government and international labor federations with this filing of case. He has nowhere else to go but further doom,” he said in a text message.

The case stemmed from the May 28 resolution issued by the Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) that identified Democrito Mendoza as the rightful president of the TUCP.

Herrera is contesting Mendoza’s stay as president of the biggest labor group in the country highlighted by the former’s attempt to take over the TUCP compound in Quezon City last January.

Herrera even went to the extent of calling for Baldoz’s resignation, saying the labor chief committed “grave abuse of discretion” over the TUCP row.

Baldoz said she is just serving at the pleasure of President Benigno Aquino III. (HDT/Virgil Lopez/Sunnex)