After 4 years: TUCP elects new officials

CEBU, Philippines - After four years, the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines, the country’s biggest labor center, has finally conducted an election of its new set of officials.

This after the Supreme Court affirmed the decision of the Court of Appeals to have TUCP elect its new set of officials and end the four-year impasse in its leadership.

Atty. Raymond Democrito Mendoza of the powerhouse Associated Labor Unions was elected as the acting president of TUCP.   Also elected as the acting general secretary of TUCP was labor lawyer Atty. Arnel Dolendo of the Philippine Trade and General Workers’ Organization.

Veteran public sector representative Esperanza Ocampo, president of the Philippine Government and Employees Association, was elected as acting treasurer.

“The TUCP General Council elected hold-over officers in ‘acting’ capacity in compliance with the Supreme Court ruling affirming the Court of Appeals decision in the TUCP leadership issue,” said Mendoza in a statement.

Mendoza said the CA laid down the sequence they are following in order to ensure that they may now have a unified and legally recognized leadership.

“We need this so that the Filipino workers’ voice can be heard through a unified labor umbrella,” he said.

Mendoza explained that they have to elect an acting president since the late Senator Ernesto Herrera held the position only in an acting capacity.  The CA decision requires that as acting president, Senator Herrera would have to convene the General Council to elect an acting General Secretary and thereafter, said General Council will have to set a convention to elect the regular officers of the TUCP.

“With the death of Sen. Herrera, the second phase of electing an Acting General Secretary and setting a convention could not be carried out. We are simply complying with the order of the Courts,” said Dolendo in the same statement.

The TUCP General Council, serving as the highest governing body after complying with the court orders and the Constitution and By-Laws has sent notices to the 28 labor/federation affiliates of the TUCP being the organic members of the  of the labor center.

The council has set December 14, TUCP’s founding anniversary, as a tentative schedule for the general convention to elect its regular officials.   Ocampo said all 27 bonafide member-federations of the TUCP were invited during the election and will also be invited to the convention. (FREEMAN)