PALEA lambasts House Ethics Committee for suspending hearing on “menopausal bitch” case

PRESS RELEASE

17 May 2011

PALEA

The Philippine Airlines Employees’ Association (PALEA) lambasted the House Ethics Committee, especially Siquijor Rep. Orlando Fua, Sr., for suspending the hearing on the complaint filed by Philippine Airlines ground attendant Sarah Bonnin-Ocampo against AVE Rep. Eulogio Magsaysay. The hearing was called by the Sub-Committee on Preliminary Inquiry of the House Committee on Ethics and Privileges for the initial review of the complaint but was suspended on a motion by Rep. Fua on the argument that the complainant was forum shopping.

“The old boys’ network among congressmen has reared its ugly head today. They may have won the battle but not the war. The fight continues until justice is served our sister Sarah. This is a fight of all frontline service workers who suffer indignities from abusive government officials, arrogant customers and even company management,” stated Ginalyn Licayan, head of the PALEA Women’s Committee. PALEA argued that the Ombudsman compliant is a separate criminal case while the Ethics case was for Magsaysay’s conduct as a congressman.

Women members of PALEA and Partido ng Manggagawa (PM) trooped to the House of Representatives to support Ms. Ocampo’s fight against Magsaysay. The hearing today was the next step after the House Committee on Ethics earlier found the complaint sufficient in form and substance. The complaint alleges serious misconduct, abuse of authority and conduct unbecoming of a high-ranking public official against Rep. Magsaysay. At the airport last December 17, Rep. Magsaysay shouted “menopausal bitch” and “bitch” several times to Ocampo after she told him that they do not have to power to change seating arrangements in the business class as per his request.

“It is clear to us that the solons have already agreed to kill the case at the Ethics Committee before they opened the hearing. It is apparent that Mr. Magsaysay’s ‘media apology’ not so long ago was no apology at all.  In his statement, Magsaysay justified why he called Sarah a ‘menopausal bitch’ and a ‘bitch’ repeatedly,” explained PM Secretary General Judy Ann Chan Miranda.  How can such an insensitive and arrogant public official serve his constituents well – especially women?   Kapag uminit ang ulo niya, he would resort to name-calling?  The fight is not yet over, Mr. Magsaysay!”

In Magsaysay’s reply to the complaint filed, he justified name-calling Ms. Ocampo a “menopausal bitch” by categorically saying that ‘the term menopausal was used without intention to malign Sarah but rather to describe figuratively the temper of complainant – a medically observed behaviour of middle age women.’  Use of the term bitch on the other hand was justified as ‘a common enough expression not really to slander but rather to express frustration over an unpleasant behaviour of a woman.’

PALEA has also been pushing management to come with a manual that will ensure protection of employees from abusive customers.

PALEA calls on House ethics committee to act on complaint vs. Rep. Magsaysay

PRESS RELEASE
1 February 2011
PALEA

The Philippine Airlines Employees Association (PALEA) and PAL Customer Agent 3 and PALEA member Sarah Bonnin-Ocampo today called on the House of Representative Ethics Committee to find sufficiency in form and substance in the complaint against Alliance of Volunteer Educators (AVE) Party-List Representative Eulogio Magsaysay.

The Ethics Committee convenes 2:00 p.m. and among its agenda is the complaint filed by PALEA and Ocampo. If the House ethics committee finds the complaint sufficient in form and substance then hearings will be called on the merits of the case.

“We are determined in pushing through with our complaints. For the longest time, PAL employees and other frontline service workers, are victimized by abusive politicians and government officials. They need to learn their lesson—that workers, especially women, are human beings, too, who have rights and dignity to should be respected,” explained PALEA Women Committee Head Ginalyn Licayan.

PALEA also filed today a complaint on the same case at the Commission on Human Rights (CHR). PALEA members including Ocampo met CHR head Etta Rosales just after 1:00 p.m.

Rosales promised to act on the complaint. After the meeting at CHR, the group proceeded to the Batasang Pambansa and visited the offices of the members of the committees on ethics and gender to help expedite the complaint.

Meanwhile in a labor-management meeting last January 27, PAL stated that it will look into proposals to protect its frontline service workers from indignities and harassment. PAL management also clarified in the meeting that the regrets letter sent to Magsaysay was pro forma. PALEA will submit to PAL its proposed manual to ensure protection of PAL employees from rude customers, including politicians and government officials.

Last January 17 PALEA and Ocampo filed a case against Magsaysay for serious misconduct, abuse of authority and conduct unbecoming of a high-ranking public official at the House Committees on Ethics and Privileges, and Women and Gender Equality.

On 17 December last year, while on duty, Magsaysay shouted “menopausal bitch” and “bitch” several times to Ocampo after being told that she does not have to the power to change seating arrangements in the business class as per request.

Labor party supports PAL employee’s fight for justice

Press Release
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.