LRT union officials face arrest

Dismissed former Light Rail Transit (LRT) labor union officials are now officially wanted men after a Pasay City court issued warrants for their arrests for robbery in connection with their tumultuous LRT strike last year.

Pasay Judge Ernesto Reyes issued the warrants of arrest against former LRT union president Sammy Malunes and his former subordinates Randy Macaya, George dela Cueva, and Ricardo Patriarca last month. So far, only Patriarca has been arrested but has posted bail.

The militant labor group Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU), which supported the July 25, 2000 strike, issued a statement saying that Malunes and the three others are innocent of the charges.

The four former officials of the Pinag-isang Lakas ng Mga Manggagawa ng LRT (PIGLAS-LRT), were charged last month by Pasay City prosecutor Bernabe Solis. There were actually a total of 13 cases filed against the union officials by the LRT administration but only robbery was found to have sufficient basis, Bernabe said.

The charged stemmed from the alleged disappearance of some P1 millon worth of train parts and control center devices that rendered the train system inoperational for days. The striking employees were later dismissed after they refused to heed a return to work order.

But according to court employees, a lawyer was hired by the four accused, a certain Nenita Mahinay.

Mahinay asked the court Wednesday last week to reduce the P100,000 bail set for each of the accused to P10,000 but Judge Reyes only granted a reduction of P40,000. Last Wednesday, Patriarca was arrested by Pasay City police while Malunes and the two others are yet to be located. The first hearing of the case is set on Dec. 10. – Jose Aravilla