This story
was taken from Bulatlat, the Philippines's alternative weekly
newsmagazine (www.bulatlat.com, www.bulatlat.net, www.bulatlat.org).
Vol. V, No. 18, June 12-18, 2005
Lepanto Accused of Blocking Medical
Mission
A medical mission was
prevented by the Lepanto Consolidated Mining Company (LCMCo) from delivering
health services to the more than 1,000 striking workers and their families.
This, however, proves to be the least of the union’s concern as military and
police presence is increased in the area. They anticipate a dispersal anytime
now, reminiscent of the strike in 2003 which resulted in two casualties.
BY ARTHUR L. ALLAD-IW BAGUIO CITY — The
giant gold producer Lepanto Consolidated Mining Company (LCMCo) last June 7
blocked the medical team that was supposed to provide health services to the
1,687 striking workers and their families. The Community Health
Education Services and Training in the Corrdillera Region (Chestcore), a Baguio-based
non-government organization, sent a medical mission after it learned that LCMCo
ordered last June 2 the closure of its hospital. The company reportedly ordered
all its medical personnel to take a vacation leave at the height of the strike
and advised patients to stay home. Meanwhile, the Lepanto
Employees Union (LEU) condemned the deployment of more military and police
forces in the area as the DoLE issued a return-to-work order for the striking
workers. The forces beefed up company security headed by former Armed Forces of
the Philippines (AFP) Col. Wilhelm Doromal, Northern Dispatch sources in
the area revealed. “This is not a war
situation, the workers are unarmed, and yet Lepanto is denying medicines and
personnel from getting through its gates,” said Dr. Ana Marie R. Leung,
executive director of Chestcore. The latter is involved in community health
advocacy. Leung added that the move
is a violation of the rights of the workers and their families to health
services as she asserts that medical practitioners should be allowed to render
services in such a situation. “In fact, even in a war
situation,” Leung said, “medical personnel are respected and allowed passage to
deliver health services.” A member of the team
narrates that the security forces claimed that the order not to allow any
services for its workers came from LCMCo officials. The team tried to coordinate
with the municipal officials to get a permit to service striking workers but to
no avail. The team visited the
hospital and did not find any personnel around. They learned that on June 3,
LCMCo management allegedly ordered personnel of their hospital not to admit
patients because workers are on strike. Hospital personnel reportedly included
two nurses but there were no personnel on the next day, they added. Workers, however, enabled
the medical team to conduct check-up and distributed medicines. The team first
diagnosed hundreds of workers and families at the picket lines in Nayak, Buaki
and Tubo. The team found a prevalence
of diarrhea, hypertension and respiratory infections among strikers, women and
children. Chestcore added that another team of medical practitioners is in the
area for the health services of the workers and their families. Water supply cut-off LEU President Ninian
Langagan claimed that the company cut the water supply of most workers’ houses
on June 6 and restored it only on June 10. He added that the electricity in the
workers’ houses were allegedly also cut off at 6 a.m. and restored it at 6 p.m.
Regular electricity was provided starting June 10. Leung said that cutting
water supply aggravates the health situation of workers and their families.
“This is another violation of human rights as water is a basic need,” Leung
said. “Many diseases are directly linked to lack of a safe drinking water.”
Lepanto denies
allegations Lawyer Weldy Manlong,
administrative services manager, denied that the LCMCo cut off the water supply.
The pipes from the Mill Site were cut by unidentified persons while those at
Gate 5 were the makings of the union, said Manlong. But the union believed that
this is the company’s way of forcing them to go back to work. Since the
management realized that what they did are violations of workers’ rights, they
restored all these services, the union officials said. “Lepanto goons” Lepanto has an undetermined
number of security forces who are allegedly former and discharged members of the
AFP, claimed a Northern Dispatch source from Mankayan. The security force
is headed by former AFP official Wilhelm Doromal, a member of the
Rebolusyunaryong Alyansang Makabayan (RAM). Doromal reportedly issued
an order on June 8 to gate security guards not to allow LEU vehicles from
entering and leaving Gate 3. This was denounced by LEU as their vehicles are
used to transport food to the workers and their families. Militarization of the
strike areas The striking workers
observed that even before they launched the strike on June 2, the 54th
IB headed by Lt. Ben Anongos has been deployed in the areas of the striking
workers. Anongos is a member of the paramilitary Cordilera People’s Liberation
Army (CPLA) which is now integrated into the AFP. Maslian revealed that the
National Conciliation and Mediation Board (NCMB) in the Cordillera
Administrative Regon (CAR) and members of the PNP headed by Gaab arrived at the
strike area before 12 noon last June 10. Maslian however said that no untoward
incident happened between the police and the workers. Nordis / Posted by
Bulatlat © 2004 Bulatlat
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Militarization heightens as
Dole orders return-to-work
Northern Dispatch
Posted by Bulatlat