Labor groups, employees mull graft raps vs Roxas

Manila, Philippines – Labor groups and former employees of the defunct Pantranco North Express are considering filing graft charges against Transportation and Communications Secretary Manuel Roxas II for defying a Supreme Court (SC) order when he stopped the sale of 489 franchises to bus firms affiliated with the Victory Liner Group.

“The action of Roxas is arbitrary and anti-labor. He is taking away legitimate benefits duly awarded to displaced workers,” Elmer Labog, secretary general of the militant Kilusang Mayo Uno, told reporters during the weekly Rembrandt Hotel news forum in Quezon City.

Dave Diwa, president of the National Labor Union, echoed Labog’s statement, saying the order of Roxas to suspend the sale of the franchises was in violation of an administrative order, which provides that a public hearing must be conducted before revoking any franchise.

The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board had earlier approved the sale of the bus franchises.

Jun Pascua, president of the Pantranco Employees’ Association, said Roxas’ move deprived the more than 2,000 former employees of the bankrupt bus firm of a long-awaited settlement of their claim against Pantranco.

Pascua said the SC ruled in 1993 that some 2,200 workers of the defunct bus company were entitled to back wages, retirement pay and other monetary benefits. When Pantranco became cash-strapped in 1990s, Pascua said the court ordered the garnishment of its assets to settle its financial obligations to its employees.

He said the franchises were thus transferred to the employees.

Pascua said the Court of Appeals upheld the National Labor Relations Commission resolution that awarded the franchises to the former Pantranco employees.

He added that their claim against Pantranco was approved by the Presidential Commission on Good Government and Sandiganbayan, which recognized their ownership of franchises. – Rainier Allan Ronda, Perseus Echeminada, Philippine Star