With ship visit, Aquino sends wrong message regarding US troop presence in PH

In a span of three months, Philippine president Benigno Aquino III has joined US soldiers in target-practice during the Balikatan war games and recently, visited the US aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson.


Umbrella group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan thinks Aquino is already sending the wrong message and making wrong decisions in relation to the presence of US troops in the Philippines.


“There is supposedly an ongoing review of the RP-US Visiting Forces Agreement being undertaken by Malacanang because of problems related to sovereignty, yet the way the president is acting, it appears that there’s no problem at all. The message we’re getting here is that US troops and their war machines are very much welcome in our country despite numerous violations of sovereignty done in the past,” said Bayan secretary general Renato M. Reyes, Jr.


“Instead of taking a more independent and critical outlook towards US troop presence in the country, the Philippine president has shown fan-like awe towards arriving US forces. One wonders what has really become of the VFA review given the recent actions of the President,” Reyes said.


The group said that the Philippine president should make a categorical pronouncement that it will not allow extra-territorial actions on the part of US troops in PH territory, like what US forces did in the raid on Osama bin Laden’s compound in Pakistan.


Bayan questioned the entry of the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson saying that it may have violated the constitutional provisions prohibiting nuclear weapons in the country.


“The most ironic and ridiculous thing here is that the Philippine president was on board the aircraft carrier that should have been considered banned under Philippine law. It’s as if Aquino was duped into legitimizing the entry of the warship, or that the president is unaware or does not care about the constitutional provision against nuclear weapons, being more interested in the shock-and-awe factor of US military might,” Reyes said.


“Unfortunately, under the VFA, there is no way for the Philippine government to tell if a warship carries weapons of mass destruction since the VFA prohibits Philippine authorities from conducting ship inspections,” he added.


Section 8 of the Constitution says, “The Philippines, consistent with the national interest, adopts and pursues a policy of freedom from nuclear weapons in its territory.”


“It is our view that the ban on nukes should encompass both nuclear warheads and warships, and that should include the USS Carl Vinson,” Reyes said.


Bayan also said that President Aquino has failed to stop the permanent basing of US troops in Southern Philippines. The US-Joint Special Operations Task Force Philippines has been stationed in Zamboanga since 2002. “This is an ongoing violation of our sovereignty. The VFA has allowed an unlimited number of US forces to conduct undefined activities for an unspecified duration in PH territory. What’s to prevent US forces from conducting military operations in our country, similar to what is being done in Pakistan?” he added.###

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BAYAN berates union busting by Superstar Coco firm

Members of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan today staged a protest demonstration at the plant of Superstar Coconut Products Incorporated in Maa, Davao City to castigate the firm for its recent actions to maliciously cripple the Kahugpungan sa mga Trabahante sa Superstar (KTS) Union.

KTS, a union duly recognized by the Department of Labor and Employment, is said to be preparing a strike to demand from the management to implement labor standards and to stop union busting.

“The workers are the life and limb of the company. Without them, the entire production will come to a halt and then the company will be nothing but a dead facility,” said Franchie Buhayan, BAYAN-Southern Mindanao regional spokesperson. “That is the very reason why the company should treat the workers well, give them decent wage and benefits and respect their democratic rights particularly the right to protest and organize a genuine union,” added Buhayan.

One of the top 1000 corporations in the country and considered as the largest coconut products manufacturer in Mindanao, Superstar Coconut Products Incorporated is said to be producing and shipping ton loads of desiccated coconut worth P7.5 million per day. The company is also manufacturing other coconut-based products like coco powder and coco oil.

“Superstar is earning millions from the labor of the workers but ironically the management rewards them with unimaginable exploitation and repression. For years, the workers suffer from poor working conditions with excessive workload and received wages that are far below from the minimum wage mandated by the government. It is only logical for the workers to struggle against the company’s modus operandi,” Buhayan said.

BAYAN explained that recently, leaders and members of the KTS Union experienced different forms of harassments from the management including demotion of 26 union leaders and members, threats of dismissal, intimidation and the use of hush money.

“This is unacceptable! It is an indication that the management is not interested in resolving the problem rightfully under due process. Instead, they use cowardly dirty tactics to get rid of the union and disenfranchise the legitimate demands of the workers. This leaves the workers no option but to intensify the struggle and raise it to a higher level,” said Buhayan.

In a solidarity lunch today with the workers outside the plant of Superstar Coconut Products Inc, BAYAN expressed its total support for the workers and their families.

“If the KTS union will go on with the plan to lead a strike, we, along with our allied organizations will support it through and through,” Buhayan said.

“The city government and DOLE should not slow-foot in addressing this issue. Union busting is a critical offense against the working class and must be dealt with seriousness. And allowing these profit-hungry capitalists to continue making us their modern-day slaves and starve our families to death is a greater offense. These are important points that the government, both local and national, must consider,” added Buhayan.

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Superstar company is anti-worker, anti-women - GABRIELA

Davao City – Progressive women’s organization GABRIELA manifested its support to the beleaguered workers of Superstar Coconut Products Company, Incorporated in a protest action held in front of the regional office of the Department of Labor and Employment yesterday.

“Kontra-trabahante ug kontra-kababayen-an ang kompanya sa Superstar. Angay lang nga paspasan na og pag-imbestiga sa DOLE ang reklamo sa mga mamumuo ug patubagon ang mga tao sa management nga wala nag-atiman sa kahimtang sa ilang mga trabahante nga kadaghanan mga babaye,” said Corazon Espinoza, Vice-Chairperson of GABRIELA and head of the local urban poor women’s organization, Samahan ng Maralitang Kababaihang Nagkakaisa or SAMAKANA

Around 50 women workers and support group of Superstar workers coming from progressive organizations picketed in front of DOLE Region XI and demanded to look into the complaints of the workers against the management.

For Grace Makatuna, a mother of three kids who has worked for eight years at Superstar Coconut Company, their condition as women workers are hapless and inhumane.

“Kadaghanan sa mga trabahante didto sa Superstar mga babaye nga nakasinati sa dili maayong palisiya sa kompanya,” Makatuna said.

“Kung naa mi bation sa lawas ingnan ra mi nga nag-atik-atik mi ug dili pirmahan ang among sick leave.Wala mi ka-pilian kay maka-absent mi ug gani pag mag-absent ilaha pang isuspinde, tulo kaadlaw warning. Kung muabsent na sad ka, kinse ka adlaw napud nga suspension hangtod tanggal na dayon sa trabaho,”  she said.

Workers of Superstar have long been complaining about the lack of clinic inside the company given that the firm employs more than a thousand workers.

Aside from the lack of health facilities, the management also failed to supply the necessary equipment and gears to protect the workers from work related accidents.  Workers of Superstar are the ones who pay for their gloves, uniform and even the knives use by “parers” (workers who peel the thin and brownish coating from pieces of de-shelled coconuts).

“Women workers should be accorded with humane working conditions. We even have a city ordinance which comply companies to provide seats for all the women workers.  
Lingkuranan nalang gani, dili pa mahatag sa kompanya kay ang mga trabahante man ang mopalit, kung magpagamit man sila og lingkuranan panahon ra nga kung adunay bisita o inspection ang DOLE ug uban pang ahensya,” Espinoza said.

“Busa angay lang nga paspasan sa DOLE ang pagresolba sa kaso sa mga trabahante sa Superstar ug patubagon ang mga anaa sa management,” she said.

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