Constellation
31st January 2000, 13:48
PAL union bosses
got P10,000 each
By Armand Nocum
OFFICIALS of the ground crew union of the Philippine Airlines were allegedly bribed into voting last year for a deal with PAL owner Lucio Tan suspending their collective bargaining agreement.
Several board members of the PAL Employees Association (Palea) admitted during a seven-hour meeting Wednesday that they had received P10,000 each from Palea president Alexander Barrientos.
''Maybe, this is just the tip of the iceberg,'' said Bong Penas III, Palea national secretary.
The payoff came in the wake of reports that Tan had given Barrientos a huge sum of money to ensure that the union would vote in favor of suspending the CBA for 10 years.
Earlier, Barrientos' wife, Lorna Miranda, had said that her husband had received some P50 million from Tan in July last year at the height of the Palea strike.
The accusation was contained in a concubinage case she filed with the Makati Regional Trial Court against Barrientos on Aug. 30. She said Barrientos had abandoned his family to live with another woman, a certain Rosalia Bondoc.
Barrientos' wife said that after the strike her husband started to live with Bondoc at a unit in Charter II at 906 Pasay Road in Makati City then at a room in Century Park Sheraton. Lorna claimed that both units were owned by Tan.
Barrientos denied receiving P50 million from Tan.
''The (Palea) board should not be affected. This is a private thing between me and my wife. I will solve it in a private manner,'' he said.
The Palea strike followed the 22-day strike of its 600 pilots. The ground crew union protested the decision of the management to lay off 5,000 of the airlines 14,000 workers as part of a massive retrenchment program.
In the Palea meeting, the 21 board members of the union voted to look into the allegations of bribery.
Penas said some board members disclosed that they received P10,000 while rank and file union members got between P1,000 and P5,000 each on the condition that they would campaign for the CBA's suspension.
The proposal to suspend the CBA was put to a vote on Oct. 2 last year.
Aside from the suspension of the CBA, 61 percent of the 5,309 members of Palea accepted Tan's offer of 60,000 shares of stock for each employee upon retirement and three seats on the PAL board as part of the management-proposed financial recovery program. Thirty-four percent rejected Tan's offer.
Sell-out
''We have long suspected that there was a sell-out. Our suspicions are confirmed,'' board member Abel Capilli said.
Palea vice president Jerry Rivera also admitted to receiving P10,000, but clarified that it was a ''loan'' from Barrientos.
''He admitted receiving P10,000 to campaign for 'yes,''' Capilli said.
Barrientos, however, claimed that the money came from his own pocket.
But Palea board members said the money given to union officials and members could have been part of the P50 million payola from Tan.
Penas and Palea board member Rene Ramos have called for an investigation of the bribery.
Several Palea officials suggested that Barrientos relinquish his post for loss of confidence. Others said that he take a leave of absence while he was being investigated.
''I'll take a leave of absence to face my personal problems,'' Barrientos said on Wednesday.
But he said his taking time off from his work was not in any way connected to his own problems with the union. ''It's not labor-related,'' he said.
Palea represents some 6,500 ground crew employees and is the biggest of the three unions in the airline. Two others represent the pilots and the flight attendants.
got P10,000 each
By Armand Nocum
OFFICIALS of the ground crew union of the Philippine Airlines were allegedly bribed into voting last year for a deal with PAL owner Lucio Tan suspending their collective bargaining agreement.
Several board members of the PAL Employees Association (Palea) admitted during a seven-hour meeting Wednesday that they had received P10,000 each from Palea president Alexander Barrientos.
''Maybe, this is just the tip of the iceberg,'' said Bong Penas III, Palea national secretary.
The payoff came in the wake of reports that Tan had given Barrientos a huge sum of money to ensure that the union would vote in favor of suspending the CBA for 10 years.
Earlier, Barrientos' wife, Lorna Miranda, had said that her husband had received some P50 million from Tan in July last year at the height of the Palea strike.
The accusation was contained in a concubinage case she filed with the Makati Regional Trial Court against Barrientos on Aug. 30. She said Barrientos had abandoned his family to live with another woman, a certain Rosalia Bondoc.
Barrientos' wife said that after the strike her husband started to live with Bondoc at a unit in Charter II at 906 Pasay Road in Makati City then at a room in Century Park Sheraton. Lorna claimed that both units were owned by Tan.
Barrientos denied receiving P50 million from Tan.
''The (Palea) board should not be affected. This is a private thing between me and my wife. I will solve it in a private manner,'' he said.
The Palea strike followed the 22-day strike of its 600 pilots. The ground crew union protested the decision of the management to lay off 5,000 of the airlines 14,000 workers as part of a massive retrenchment program.
In the Palea meeting, the 21 board members of the union voted to look into the allegations of bribery.
Penas said some board members disclosed that they received P10,000 while rank and file union members got between P1,000 and P5,000 each on the condition that they would campaign for the CBA's suspension.
The proposal to suspend the CBA was put to a vote on Oct. 2 last year.
Aside from the suspension of the CBA, 61 percent of the 5,309 members of Palea accepted Tan's offer of 60,000 shares of stock for each employee upon retirement and three seats on the PAL board as part of the management-proposed financial recovery program. Thirty-four percent rejected Tan's offer.
Sell-out
''We have long suspected that there was a sell-out. Our suspicions are confirmed,'' board member Abel Capilli said.
Palea vice president Jerry Rivera also admitted to receiving P10,000, but clarified that it was a ''loan'' from Barrientos.
''He admitted receiving P10,000 to campaign for 'yes,''' Capilli said.
Barrientos, however, claimed that the money came from his own pocket.
But Palea board members said the money given to union officials and members could have been part of the P50 million payola from Tan.
Penas and Palea board member Rene Ramos have called for an investigation of the bribery.
Several Palea officials suggested that Barrientos relinquish his post for loss of confidence. Others said that he take a leave of absence while he was being investigated.
''I'll take a leave of absence to face my personal problems,'' Barrientos said on Wednesday.
But he said his taking time off from his work was not in any way connected to his own problems with the union. ''It's not labor-related,'' he said.
Palea represents some 6,500 ground crew employees and is the biggest of the three unions in the airline. Two others represent the pilots and the flight attendants.