Monday, April 07, 2008 PPA blames police on port strike
PORT Manager Renato Tolinero blamed the local police for failing to disperse the striking union.
Union strikers of the Associated Labor Union-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (ALU-TUCP), he says, have successfully took over the gates of the port and blocked the cargoes from coming in and out of the port as the PPA resumed its operations last Saturday morning.
Tolinero lamented that the police did nothing to break up the strikers.
Upon informing PPA General Manager Oscar Sevilla that strikers are blocking stevedore operations, Tolinero was told by Sevilla to let the strikers stay inside the port premises provided that they will not harm anybody.
Workers of the Prudential Customs Brokerage Services, Incorporation (PCBSI) hired by PPA's Dumaguete Port Services (DPS) as stevedore operators, have left the arrastre and stevedoring area while the union stayed at the gates.
But City Police Chief Leopoldo Cabanag told Sun.Star that he has to wait for orders from Senior Superintendent Melvin Ramon Buenafe, Provincial Director of the Philippine National Police in Negros Oriental.
He however explained that there was no need for any dispersal move as he did not see any violence coming from the strikers.
"Besides it is the jurisdiction of the PPA," he stressed, explaining PPA has its own police to control the area.
But Tolinero insisted that Transportation and Communication Undersecretary Maria Elena Bautista said the PPA is only to assist the police in dispersing the strikers thus PPA is not the sole group responsible for driving away the strikers.
Earlier, Mayor Agustin Perdices said that the city government will not be the lead agency in dispersing the strikers. They will however provide the assistance.
Perdices explained the city has no jurisdiction over the port since it does not pay taxes to the city. (VLC)
