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Sunday, March 30, 2008
5 cops, 4 protesters hurt in port strike dispersal
By Victor L. Camion
DUMAGUETE CITY -- The dispersal of the striking port workers in Dumaguete City turned violent Saturday resulting to the injury of five policemen and four strikers.
A team from the Philippine National Police (PNP) decided to disperse the striking port workers after the National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC) issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) Friday against the protesters who were ordered to cease and desist from their illegal strike.
2007 bar results
Police are also looking into the possible filing of charges for violations of the child abuse law after the children were used as human chain to shield the protesters.
Dumaguete City Mayor Agustin Perdices ordered the clearing of the road occupied by the strikers around 2 p.m. Saturday after they refused to vacate the area.
The tension started when a police truck, which was deployed to clear the road being blocked by the port workers together with their wives and children, almost hit the protesters.
The protesting workers reacted to the incident, which started the stone and bottle throwing.
Reported injured were Senior Inspector Rodolfo Serrano, Senior Police Officer 4 Rodrigo Tubog, Senior Police Officer 1 Alfred Vicente Silvosa, and Police Officers 1 Ruel Piral and Mark Arthur Masicampo.
Honorato Roma, Renante Omnus, Sopreano Sabanal and a still unidentified man, all union members, were also reported wounded in Saturday's incident.
Serrano and Tubog sustained cuts in their heads while Piral sustained injury in his left arm. Silvosa also sustained a cut on his forehead while Masicampo sustained a cut in his foot.
Roma and Omnus sustained injuries on the arm and hand, while Sabanal sustain a big cut in his forehead.
A striker's daughter told Sun.Star that a policeman struck her with a night stick but Sabanal shield himself to protect her causing the latter's injury.
She, however, failed to identify the policeman.
Silvosa, on the other hand, said he was trying to defend himself against a striker who hit him with a placard's holder when a stone hit his head.
Negros Oriental Provincial Police Director Melvin Ramon Buenafe said his men were just protecting themselves from the attackers.
Buenafe said it was the strikers who attacked the policemen.
Children as human shield
At the same time, Buenafe said they will study the possible filing of charges for violations of the child abuse law against parents of the 36 children used as human chain by the striking workers.
None of the children were reported injured during the commotion except for a child who collapse due to heat exhaustion.
Mayor Perdices and Buenafe have called up the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to rescue the children.
Perdices said parents should not use their children in activities that could endanger their safety.
Refusal to vacate
Sheriff Eugenio Villanueva of the 4th Division of NLRC based in Cebu City served the TRO at around 5 p.m. Friday but the protesters did not acknowledge him, said Dumaguete City Police Director Leopoldo Cabanag.
Villanueva sought the help of Perdices, Transportation and Communication Undersecretary Elena Bautista, and the police in serving the TRO.
Bautista sought the help of the port police.
Perdices and Bautista agreed that in view of the TRO the port should be open by 6 a.m. Saturday to allow the hauling of cargoes in and out of the Dumaguete port.
It was already around 2 p.m. Saturday when Perdices signaled the police officials to clean the road after the strikers refused to vacate the road.
Felizardo Calimpong, district coordinator of the port workers affiliated with Associated Labor Union-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (ALU-TUCP), said union members will not vacate the picket line despite the TRO.
The strikers were ordered to cease and desist from their illegal mass-action.
"Almost immediately after Prudential (PCBSI) has assumed its functions as cargo handler of the Port of Dumaguete, these workers unlawfully staged a mass action, obstructing the public entry and exit around the port," the three-page NLRC order stated.
Commissioner Aurelio Menzon and presiding Commissioner Violeta Ortiz-Batug said in the same order that the strikers showed force and actual threats to the petitioners (PCBSI).
NLRC also believed that the strike has paralyzed the operation of the arrastre and stevedoring services resulting in "great damage and injury on the economy of Negros Oriental.
The commissioners further believed that the picket caused inconvenience to the public.
Hearing for the PCBSI petition is set at 1:30 p.m. on April 10 at the NLRC office in Cebu City. (Sunnex)For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star General Santos. (March 30, 2008 issue)
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