Wednesday, April 16, 2008 PCBSI files criminal raps vs port strikers
CRIMINAL charges were filed Tuesday by the Prudential Customs and Brokerage Systems, Inc. (PCBSI) against leaders of the port strikers for threatening and barring its employees to get inside the port premises.
Lawyer Joel Obar of PCBSI said two of its employees identified as Raul Ramos and Genero Catipay were harassed by striking leaders Surpiano Sabanal, Jimmy Ybesate, Antonio Pagbunucan Jr. and many others.
Obar, quoting the affidavits of Ramos and Catipay, said that last April 8 at around 9 a.m. while the two are on duty at the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) office, they were accosted in an angry, fuming, and mad manner by Sabanal, Ybesate, Pagbunucan and several others.
He added that the strikers told Ramos and Catipay to stop reporting for work and threatened them with physical harm and even death if they insist to work for the PPA or with PCBSI.
Obar said the employees are aware of the striking leaders' desire to pursue their threat. Thus, they stopped from further reporting to work for fear of physical harm ad death.
The PCBSI lawyer said the acts of the striking leaders are commission of grave coercion and grave threats.
The striking leaders and members including those who had faced criminal raps continue to manned their mass action at the gates of the Dumaguete pier, although the operations was temporarily taken over by the local office of the PPA since April 5 and is expected to end by May 5, or for a period of 30 days.
Under the issued memorandum, PPA will use the work force of the existing cargo handler, which is the PCBSI.
Obar had filed the criminal complaint before the provincial prosecutor's office as he said they are left with no other recourse but to seek legal redress to protect their employees from possible repetition of harm and harassments.
