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Friday, April 02, 2004
Battle of manifestos at Seafdec
By Nanette L. Guadalquiver
* A group of pro-management Seafdec/AQ employees and office heads, along with "concerned residents" in Barangay Buyuan, issued a manifesto to express their unconditional support for Platon and Baliao
* The protesting scientists and their allied residents of Barangay Buyuan now call themselves "United People's Alliance for the Ouster of Platon and Baliao"
THE controversy at the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center Aquaculture Department (Seafdec/AQD), which started with the call of the scientists and other research staff for the ouster of AQD chief Dr. Rolando Platon, has again shifted into another level.
This time, it's the battle of manifestos.
The Concerned Scientists and Employees of Seafdec/AQD (Csesa), composed of the protesting scientists and other research staff, and their allied residents of Barangay Buyuan, Iloilo, who now call themselves "United People's Alliance for the Ouster of Platon and Baliao," came up with a manifesto Thursday, which they submitted to 1st District Rep. Oscar Garin and Tigbauan Mayor Myrna Torres.
They said the manifesto, signed by scientist Dr. Luis Ma. Garcia, union president Alex Babol and Buyuan village head Mor Miranda, is an "off-shoot" of the "unresolved issues of mismanagement and corruption" against Platon and Administration and Finance Head Dan Baliao.
They claim that "abuses and intimidation of Baliao" is being "tolerated by Platon."
"The prevailing perception of every concerned sector is that Platon and Baliao rule AQD as their joint personal and private corporation. They are lording over AQD as their miniature kingdom," they said.
They added that the "most explicit step to institute reforms" and to "avert future conflicts" is the ouster of Platon and Baliao.
Attached with their manifesto are copies of Csesa's petition and the resolution of Buyuan Barangay Council declaring Baliao a "persona non grata."
Dr. Joebert Toledo, one of the protesting scientists, said Garin assured them that he will endorse the manifesto to Agriculture Sec. Luis Lorenzo.
He said Garin talked to Lorenzo over the phone when their group met with the congressman Thursday in Guimbal where they held a rally after a caravan from Tigbauan to Guimbal.
Support
Not to be outdone, a group of pro-management Seafdec/AQ employees and office heads also issued a manifesto "to set the record straight" and "express (their) support for Seafdec/AQD and its incumbent officials."
The manifesto, a copy of which was furnished Sun.Star Iloilo, is being circulated by the Concerned Employees of Seafdec/AQD (Cesa) and "Concerned Residents and Citizens of Barangay Buyuan, Tigbauan, Iloilo."
So far, it has 112 signatories. Among them are Training and Information Division head Dr. Teodora Bagarinao and Technology Verification Section head Demet Estenor.
According to Cesa, despite the "noise and negative publicity (the protesting group) have tried to create through the print and broadcast media, to date they have not presented solid and credible evidence to support their allegations of perceived mismanagement and irregularities."
"In their desperation to move a losing cause forward, they have sought and received the assistance of Bayan Muna, a left-leaning cause-oriented group closely identified with the New People's Army (NPA). This unwelcome move of Csesa has added an alarming dimension to the situation at AQD," the group said.
They added: "With these recent developments, we strongly believe that now is the right time for us to take our stand and set the records straight. So the public will know that majority of the citizens and residents of Barangay Buyuan and the Cesa unconditionally support the present leadership of (Platon and Baliao)."
"Dr. Platon deserves a fifth term as Seafdec/AQD chief because he is honest and has implemented pro-people programs that will help answer President Arroyo's food security program," they further said.
A separate manifesto, worded in the local dialect, was also issued by the "concerned citizens" of Barangay Buyuan, debunking the harassment claims of Miranda and Councilman Manny Mamon against Baliao.
They said that Miranda and Mamon have been supporting Babol and his fellow protestors in their protest actions against the management.
(April 2, 2004 issue)
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