New labor relations chief vows early resolution of cases

The year-long labor dispute at the 5,000-hectare sugar estate of the family of former President Corazon Aquino is expected to end soon.

This as newly appointed National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC) chief Benedicto Ernesto Bitonio vowed to prioritize the early resolution of the Hacienda Luisita case and other labor cases.

"I would immediately attend to the resolution of cases certified by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) as urgent as soon as I assume post," Bitonio disclosed.

The former DOLE undersecretary for workers’ welfare is set to assume the top NLRC post today.

DOLE has certified the Hacienda Luisita labor cases as urgent last year. But while the case is pending before the NLRC, workers at the Hacienda Luisita went on strike and the picket turned violent after police operatives dispersed the strikers.

Bitonio also vowed to speed up the resolution of other labor cases and reduce the perennial backlog of labor cases pending before the commission.

"We will immediately correct problems that cause delay in the resolution of labor disputesso that we can resolve cases more quickly, fairly and at very least cost," he said.

Last May, President Arroyo placed the NLRC under the direct supervision of the DOLE to speed up the resolution of labor cases.

Meanwhile, the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) welcomed the appointment of Bitonio as replacement for former NLRC chief Roy Señeres, who resigned last May.

TUCP, the largest labor union in the country, said they hope Bitonio would institute reforms and continue his good track record.