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 welcomes Ethics Committee finding on “menopausal bitch” case

Press Release
March 3, 2011
PALEA

The Philippine Airlines Employees’ Association (PALEA) welcomed the House Ethics Committee’s approval of the case against Rep. Eulogio Magsaysay for grave slander, serious misconduct, conduct unbecoming of a high ranking public official and direct solicitation of personal favor or gain using his office. Last Tuesday the Ethics Committee as a whole found the PALEA complaint against Magsaysay as sufficient in form and substance. The case is now assigned to the Subcommittee on Ethics for investigation headed by Benguet Rep. Ronald Cosalan.

“This is a welcome gift for the coming International Women’s Day. PALEA and Sarah Bonnin-Ocampo appreciates the House Ethics Committee for its forthright decision. We call on the Subcommittee to act with dispatch and justice on the complaint. Magsaysay may not lose his seat in the House unlike Singson and Ecleo but he nonetheless deserves punishment for his misdeed,” stated Ginalyn Licayan, PALEA Women’s Committee head.

Last January 17 PALEA and Ocampo filed the case against Magsaysay at the House Committees on Ethics and Privileges. 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 his request.

In preparation for the Women’s Day commemoration, Partido ng Manggagawa (PM) and PALEA Women’s Committee will be holding a leaders assembly tomorrow to discuss the pressing concerns of women workers such as Ocampo’s case, the RH bill, the security of tenure bill and plight of migrant workers. They will then have a noise barrage by 1:00 pm at Philcoa. On March 8, hundreds of PM members will assemble by 1:00 at St. Peter’s Cathedral along Commonwealth Ave. then march on to Batasang Pambansa for the big RH bill.

“We wish that Sarah’s 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 officials and insensitive customers,” explained Judy Ann Miranda, secretary general of PM which has been supporting PALEA in its compliant.

“The Ethics Committee recognition of our complaint is already an initial gain as is PAL management’s announcement that it will look into proposals to protect its frontline service workers from indignities and harassment,” Licayan asserted. ###