Saturday, November 03, 2007 Newly elected bry. chiefs appeal to continue work as journalists
TELEVISION reporter Ramil Ayuman may have to seek legal remedy if ABS-CBN management won’t let him continue working. For him, there is no strong basis for the decision.
Ayuman ran and won as barangay captain of Apas, Cebu City in last Monday’s elections. Dave Tumulak of radio dyAB also won the same post in Barangay Basak-Pardo.
ABS-CBN management has reportedly advised them to resign if they choose to serve as chiefs of their areas.
Still, Ayuman will appeal to management to allow him to work while he officially starts serving Barangay Apas on Dec. 1.
He plans to meet and talk with station manager Veneranda “Tata” Cinco-Sy this Monday.
He took his leave last Oct. 17 and was supposed to return to work on Oct. 29. He extended his leave until Sunday.
Guidelines
Ayuman told Sun.Star Cebu that days before he submitted his certificate of candidacy, they were warned “verbally” of a possible advice for resignation.
“We were having our usual brainstorming when I was asked by our news manager if I will push through with filing my candidacy. When I said yes, (she) told me casually that there is a possibility I might lose my job if I win. I asked for a written basis of such possibility.
Is it in the policies?” said Ayuman, who has worked as a journalist for 12 years.
The following day, Ayuman said he and Tumulak were the only ones given copies of ABS-CBN’s new election guidelines for 2007.
One of the guidelines noted that ABS-CBN employees who win in the election are deemed resigned unless he or she showed to the satisfaction of the management that such post will not interfere with his or her work in the company or that he or she will still perform fully his or her duties as employee of the company.
Gray area
While Ayuman considers it a gray area because it does not clearly specify the barangay posts, he is still hopeful that management will allow him to continue to work.
He said he will appeal for a transfer to radio dyAB or to the police beat to do away with “conflict of interests.”
Meanwhile, Tumulak, who won as barangay captain of Basak-Pardo with 3,045 votes, said he returned to work as a reporter for radio dyAB last Oct. 31,
He denied receiving any notice or warning to resign from his work if he runs and wins. He refused to answer further questions and advised Sun.Star to call Leo Lastimosa, radio dyAB station manager and anchor of TV Patrol Central Visayas, for clarifications.
Sun.Star tried but failed to reach Lastimosa and Cinco-Sy yesterday afternoon for their reactions. (NRC)
