January 16, 2011
The labor group Partido ng Manggagawa (PM) declared its support for Philippine Airlines employee Sarah Bonnin-Ocampo’s fight for justice on the eve of the filing of a case against her abuser Rep. Eulogio Magsaysay. A contingent from PM will accompany Ocampo and the Philippine Airlines Employees’ Association (PALEA) in the filing of complaints against Magsaysay at the Ombudsman and the House Ethics Committee tomorrow.
The groups will troop to the Office of the Ombudsman by 10:00 a.m. and then to the Batasang Pambansa by 1:00 p.m. The complaints will allege that Magsaysay is guilty of The complaints will allege that Magsaysay is guilty of grave slander and conduct unbecoming of a high ranking public official among others.
“Sarah’s fight is the fight of all working women. We call on women workers and women advocates to stand up against sexism and for dignity in support of Sarah,” said Judy Ann Miranda, PM secretary-general. PM will join other women’s groups in a forum tomorrow after the filing of cases. In the forum “Stand Up Against Sexism and Abuse of Working Women and Men” to be held at a restaurant in Quezon City, PM, PALEA and other groups will discuss a coordinated campaign for “Justice for Sarah Ocampo, Justice for Women Workers.”
“We hope Sarah’s courageous fight for justice will blaze a trail in the struggle for workers dignity. Service workers in the airline industry and call centers among others suffer indignities in the workplace through no fault of their own but receive no protection from their employers or the government. There are many more Sarahs who need support and protection against abusive and insensitive officials and customers,” insisted Miranda.
Miranda also questioned Magsaysay’s credentials as a supposed party-list representative. “Magsaysay’s abusive behavior towards a woman employee exposes his pretensions as a representative of the marginalized. What underrepresented sector exactly does Magsaysay’s Alliance of Voluntary Educators speak for? It appears that Magsaysay as an advocate of the marginalized is as fictional as Mikey Arroyo being a representative of tricycle drivers,” she added.
“We call on incoming Commission on Elections (Comelec) chair Sixto Brillantes to reform the accreditation process for party-list groups. The last Comelec was universally condemned for accrediting and proclaiming bogus and fake party-list groups in contravention of landmark Supreme Court guidelines,” Miranda asserted.
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