Protest action staged against harsh, ‘punishing’ Fisheries Law amendments

Iloilo — In a race against time, fishermen and commercial fishing boat operators staged a protest in Iloilo City last Wednesday, December 17 to express their outrage against what they see as overly “harsh and punishing” measures embodied in amendments to the Philippine Fisheries Code of 1998.

About 5,000 fishermen, fishing boat operators and supporters crowded around the Freedom Grandstand here to urge the Aquino administration in averting the negative impacts they expect to impinge on the fishing industry if he enacts into law said amendments on Republic Act No. 8550 (RA 8550) .

STANDING UP FOR WHAT IS RIGHT — Fishermen, including employees of domestic fishing boat operators, stage a protest rally at the Iloilo Freedom Grandstand last Dec. 17, Wednesday, in an effort to reach the ear of President Aquino. Congress, upon the prodding of BFAR, has moved to amend the existing Philippine Fisheries Code, and among the amendments are measures which the fishing boat operators see as exorbitant and highly stringent. If enacted into law, the Panay Fishing Boat Operators Association (PAFISBO), a member of the bigger Association of Philippine Fishing Federations Inc. (APFFI) fears that the hefty penalties will kill the country’s fishing industries and leave hundreds of thousands who depend on the industry without jobs. (Tara Yap)

The protest action initiated by the Panay Fishing Boat Operators Association (PAFISBO) last Wednesday, follows a similar demonstration mobilized in Zamboanga City last Dec. 8 by the Southern Philippines Deep Sea Fishing Association (SOPHIL) headed by its Executive Vice President, Roberto Baylosis, along with officers and members of two major labor organizations, Philippine Integrated Industries Labor Union (PIILU) and the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP).

Both groups, PAFISBO and SOPHIL are members of the Alliance of Philippine Fishing Federations Inc. (APFFI), all of which are united in vehemently decrying failure by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) in consulting with them when BFAR initiated moves that led to Congress’ passing the amendments to RA 8550, which now awaits President Aquino’s signature.

PAFISBO President Jose Ma. M. Borres said their protest action yesterday “is a unified stand of not only fishing boat operators, but of the fishermen themselves. It is not only us, operators who will be affected by these amendments, but those to whom we give employment to who will lose their jobs if the operators close shop.”

The common call is for President Benigno S. Aquino III to veto the amended proposals of RA 8550 passed by both the Lower House and Senate.

One of the placards held up by a demonstrator in last Wednesday’s rally read: “PNoy, Batyaga ang Pumuluyo (PNoy, Feel the People’s Plight).”

The fishermen shared their sentiments on the excessive and nonsensical penalties imposed in the amendments concocted by the both Senate and the House of Representatives in the Philippine Fisheries Code.

Among the penalties are P2-45 million for lack of necessary permits or incomplete permits; P1-3 million for destruction of wildlife habitat; P500,000-P10 million for environmental violations; P100,000 to P5 million for making false statements regarding status of permits; and P100,000 to P5 million for coercing fishery law enforcers.

Moreover, the proposed amendments will also confiscate fishing vessels and fishing gears.

Worse, the boat captain, chief engineer, chief fisherman, and fishing vessel owner can be imprisoned for any of these violations.

Testimonies from fishermen said the new amendments are not only affecting them, but the Filipino consumers who will suffer because, as pointed out by one PAFISBO member, fishing boat operator Arnaldo Borres, Jr., “the Aquino administration wants to please the European Union (EU) by complying with European standards. It seems that government cares more about foreigners than for its fellow-Filipino.”

To recall, the EU has made demands that Filipino fishing boat operators who go fishing in the high seas, that is, in international waters like Papua New Guinea and Palau, to catch such fish as tuna, which are exported to Europe, have their boats installed with such ultra-expensive equipment as satellite-operated Vessel Monitoring Systems (VMS) and allow observers onboard (whose daily fees running into the thousands of pesos are shouldered by the fishing boat operator). - by Tara Yap - Manila Bulletin

‘Father of 13th month pay’ passes away

Bacolod City, Negros Occ. (PNA) – Negrense labor leader Zoilo de la Cruz, known as the “Father of 13th month pay,” passed away last Saturday, Dec. 13.

The 84-year-old former congressman succumbed to kidney failure at the Makati Medical Center, according to his son, Roland de la Cruz, who is Acting Director for Youth of the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP).

De la Cruz authored bills providing for employees’ 13th month pay (Presidential Decree No. 851), the Social Amelioration Program in the sugar industry, and payment of Cost of Living Allowance (Cola) to workers in the private sector.

He served in Congress from 1993 to 1998.

Known as a human rights advocate and a “true labor leader,” De la Cruz organized the Sugar Industry Foundation Inc. (SIFI) and was one of the founders of the TUCP.

The younger De la Cruz said his father’s remains will be brought home to Negros on Dec. 19 where it will lie in state at the Sugar Workers’ Livelihood Center of the Department of Labor and Employment Provincial Office in Bacolod City.

On Dec. 20, a necrological service will be offered by different labor union organizations at the Sugar Workers’ Livelihood Center at 9 in the morning. On Dec. 21, he will be brought to Barangay Sum-ag in Bacolod for another necrological mass at the compound of former board member Nehemias de la Cruz at 4 p.m.

His remains will be flown back to Manila on Dec. 22 to Manila, where it will be cremated. - Manila Bulletin

Congress holds public hearing on Bangsamoro

FORMER House deputy speaker Pablo Garcia yesterday opposed the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) because Congress has no authority or competence to amend the Constitution to create another autonomous region.

Garcia expressed his views on the BBL during a public hearing and consultation on House Bill 4994 conducted by the Ad Hoc Committee led by Rep. Rufus Rodriguez (Cagayan de Oro) and Rep. Democrito Raymond Mendoza (TUCP Party-List).

Garcia said the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), created under Republic Act (RA) 6734 of 1989, and the Cordillera Autonomous Region (CAR), created by RA 6766, are organic parts of the country's political subdivisions and cannot be abolished by just another congressional act.

But Rodriguez said laws are subject to amendments.

“There is no such thing as an irrepealable law. Pabling (Garcia) said only one (law) can be passed by Congress but that is not true because in 2001, RA 9054 was passed amending the organic acts. So, that is already a precedent,” Rodriguez said.

Repealable

“Congress cannot amend the Constitution, but any law, like the law for ARMM and CAR can be repealed anytime because laws are dynamic,” he added.

Rep. Benhur Salimbangon (Cebu, fourth district) said that there are many questions about the Bangsamoro and the public hearings are meant to address these and come up with the right legislation.

Rep. Francisco Ashley Acedillo of the Magdalo Party-List said that sustained peace and progress in Mindanao would also mean economic growth for Cebu and the rest of the Philippines.

Rep. Gwendolyn Garcia (Cebu, third district), Rep. Raul del Mar (Cebu City North), Rep. Mujib Hataman (Basilan), Rep. Tupay Loong (Sulu), Rep. Edgar Masongsong (1-Care Party-List), rep. Jorge Almonte (Misamis Occidental), Rep. Celso Lobregat (Zamboanga) and Rep. Neri Colminares (Bayan Muna) also attended the public hearing.

Mendoza said that while there were a few who opposed the passage of the BBL, majority of those who attended the 31 public hearings nationwide support it.

“We are talking here of ending a 40-year old rebellion. That's why the vast majority are for a Bangsamoro Basic Law,” Mendoza said. - By Elias O. Baquero - SunStar

Labor leader passes away

National labor leader and human rights fighter Zoilo “Zoy” De La Cruz of Bacolod City passed away at the Makati Medical Center in Makati City 9:40 p.m. Saturday.

De la Cruz, 84, a former labor sector representative in the House of Representatives, peacefully passed away surrounded by his children, his son Roland de la Cruz, former Murcia town councilor, who is also a labor leader, said yesterday.

Zoilo, who was suffering from kidney failure, had been undergoing dialysis for a year, his son said.

He dedicated his life to the welfare of workers, about whom he was very passionate up to the very end, said Roland, whose father was also a lawyer.

“My father’s priorities had always been God, the workers, and family in that order,” his son said.

A pillar of the trade union movement, my father, from his sick bed, reminded us to never give up the fight for the welfare of the workers, especially in the sugar industry, his son added.

De la Cruz, at the time of his death, was president of the National Congress of Unions in the Sugar Industry of the Philippines and numerous other labor groups, and national treasurer of the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines.

He conceptualized the Social Amelioration Program in the Sugar Industry, the 13th Month Pay, Cost of Living Allowance, and housing projects for sugar mills workers, his biodata states.

His remains that are now at the Santuario de San Antonio in Makati City, will be flown from Metro Manila to Negros Occidental on Friday, where it will lie in state at the Sugar Workers Livelihood Center in Bacolod City.

A necrological mass will be held at the Sugar Workers Livelihood Center in Bacolod City 9 a.m. Saturday, after which his remains will be transferred to the family home in Barangay Sum-ag, Bacolod.

Zoilo’s remains will be flown back to Manila for cremation on Monday and laid to rest at the Santuario de San Antonio crypt in Forbes Park, Makati City, Roland said.

He is survived by his children Jess, Linus, Benjie, Zoly, Lizalyn, Roland and Vivian.*CPG - BY CARLA GOMEZ - Visayan Daliy Star