GENERAL SERVICES EMPLOYEES UNION STAGE STRIKE Kerstein Kylle Despi
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http://todayscarolinian.net Today’s CAROLINIAN 1 GENERAL SERVICES EMPLOYEES UNION STAGE STRIKE Kerstein Kylle Despi General Services Employees Union (GSEU) of implementation of the K+12 program this years in building maintenance of campuses the University of San Carlos (USC) staged a 2016. With the anticipated drop of college and that removing them is unjustifiable. strike outside Talamban Campus last May enrollees on the academic years 2016-2017, 20 to protest the administration’s layoff of long-range cost-cutting measures had to The National Conciliation and Mediation General Services Office (GSO) workers. be implemented to bring down operational Board (NCMB) issued a notice of conference expenses said USC’s legal counsel, Fr. between the two parties to appear before Picketing workers barricaded the entrances Ernesto M. Lagura, SVD. Conciliator-Mediator Gemma Poloyapoy on of Talamban Campus forcing anyone from May 21 to find a solution. Contratista said entering the university; causing heavy traffic USC administration explained that all affected negotiations ended in deadlock. According along the street and prompting a temporary GSO personnel were granted reasonable to him, the administration’s measure is suspension of classes. offers more than what is mandated by labor equivalent to union-busting and K+12 was laws. 61 of 77 personnel have accepted just an alibi The administration stands firm on The picket followed the closure of USC-GSO the separation benefit. GSEU President its decision as remaining workers who have on May 15 as the administration’s cost- Jovirito Contratista said, however, that the not agreed to the negotiations continued their cutting measure to outsource its maintenance compensation was not enough. He stated strike. TC and utility services in preparation for the that laid-off employees have worked for 15-22 http://todaycarolinian.net fb.com/todayscarolinian todaysusc 2 Today’s CAROLINIAN NEWS JUNE 2014 | Vol. 2 No. 1 Anti-China Protests Go Out of Hand Athena Grace Orque Amidst unresolved territorial disputes 3,000 Chinese nationals. between China and neighboring Asian Two days later, Filipino protesters, including countries, riots broke out in Vietnam last May a few politicians,and members of the 14 which marked the worst anti-China protest Vietnamese community in the country joined in decades. The upsurge from the locals was to support Vietnam against China demanding caused by Beijing’s deployment of an oiling rig the stop of the oil drilling in the Paracel Islands, near contested territory. the territory in question. Protesters carried Yang Jiechi and Pham Binh Minh are going to ‘exchange views on issues placards that read “We support Vietnam” and concerning bilateral relations’ 20,000protesters targeted industrial zones. “Vietnam-Philippines join hands to kick off More than a dozen factories were on fire China.” Beijing, which claims the most parts of the including business establishments not contested waters in the South East China Sea, owned by Chinese nationals damaged in the More recent conflicts have also risen since remains at odds with its Asian neighbors and affected areas in Binh Duong province, Hanoi the May 14 riotssuch as the issue of China refuses to abide international arbitration from 4 Chinese nationals were killed and over 300 accusing Vietnam of ramming its ships 1,400 the United Nations (UN) based on the United others were injured. The riot caused heavy times in the disputed South China Sea last Nations Convention on the Lawof the Sea property losses and led to an evaculation of June 8. (UNCLOS). TC U.S, Philippines Sign EDCA ‘Napolist’ Tags Alvin Apolinar 108 Solons U.S. President Barack Obama arrived in Manila as a of the Philippines and with full respect for the Paolo Louis Manghihilot conclusion to his four-country visit over Asia last April Philippines Constitution and Philippine laws.” 28, 2014. Alleged pork barrel scam ‘queen’ Janet Lim Napoles The importance of this state visit came to light hours Left-wing Filipino militant activists staged protest included 108 former and incumbent senators and before the arrival of the president as Philippine Defense against the new agreement and the visit of Obama, congressmen in her affidavit submitted to DOJ Secretary Voltaire Gazmin and U.S. Ambassador to saying that EDCA will only let a “bully” to replace Secretary Leila De Lima last May 25 regarding the the Philippines Philip Goldberg signed the Enhanced another “bully”. “We should stand by our territory misuse of the Priority Development Assistance Fund Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) at Camp against incursions but that does not mean that we (PDAF). Aguinaldo, Quezon City. will fight China, and let U.S. enter the scene,” Bayan Muna Representative Nerry Colmenares said. Bayan In the expanded affidavit of Napoles, submitted by EDCA is an executive agreement between the two secretary-general Renato Reyes also left a comment the DOJ to Senate Blue Ribbon Committee Chairman, allied governments which allows the stationing of U.S. regarding the issue and said, “The US military and Sen. Teofisto “TG” Guingona III, she tagged at least military forces, and supplies including U.S. fighter economic agenda will only reinforce the status of 8 former senators, 16 incumbent senators and 88 jets and naval ships on military bases throughout the Philippines as an American neo-colony, and former and incumbent congressmen and their agents the Philippines.Its preamble refers to the obligation President Benigno Aquino III as Obama’s cheerleader in the scam. of U.S. and Philippinesto settle international disputes and puppet in Asia,” said. by peaceful means, and to refrain from the threat or Amidst the denial of some senators of their use of force. But despite the divided and mostly negative reactions involvement, Napoles also acknowledged that she from the mass, the Philippine government remains had provided campaign funds for former senator Regarding the issue of the Philippines losing its optimistic about EDCA’s contribution towards the Manuel “Manny” Villar, and incumbent senators, sovereignty and having its territory being invaded, country’s stand against China regarding the disputes Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano and Sen. Francis “Chiz” the Preamble states that “all United States access to in the West Philippine Sea. TC Escudero, during the previous election. and use of facilities and areas will be at the invitation Moroever, the Ombudsman has already indicted Janet Lim Napoles and senators Juan Ponce Enrile, #CebuAgainstPork Coalition Celebrates Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada, and Ramon “Bong” Revilla together with Jessica Lucila “Gigi” Reyes, Enrile’s Independence Day Through a Rally former Chief of Staff; Richard Cambe, Revilla’s Chief Athena Grace Orque of Staff; Paulene Therese Mary C. Labayen, Estrada’s Deputy Chief of Staff; John Ronald Lim, Napoles’ The Cebu Coalition Against the Pork Barrel System fugitive brother; and John Raymond de Asis, Napoles’ organized a rallyfor the abolishment of the Priority driver and bodyguard, in the Sandiganbayan for three Development Assistance Fund (PDAF),also known as sets of “Information for Plunder”. TC thePork Barrel System at Fuente Osmeña Circle last June 12. The interfaith rally had an estimate of 3,000participants private sector, and Ken Ecarma, USC Supreme Student from various sectors, partylists and religious groups, Council president and STAND representativewere including the Archdiocese of Cebu, the United Church among the many speakers who presented issues in the of Christ in the Philippines and other denominations. gathering. The Movement for Livable Cebu, the academe, and other organizations represented the private sector. The The program for the rally ended with the call for Carolinian Political Science Society (CPSS) and Student the Guilty. Those charged, resign now. Act now, file the participation inthe signing of the People’s Initiative, a law Alliance for Nationalism and Democracy (STAND) from cases.” Members of the youthsectorwore masks of those formulated by the people seeking to fully abolish the Pork USC were also present.Theparticipants of the rallies held involved inthe scam. Barrel System and any program with a similar nature. A up banners and placards reading “No to Aquino Cover National People’s Congress,is expected to be held on Up, Pork Barrel King Panagutan” and “Batukan ang Representative speakers, Typhoon Yolanda victim, August 23, 2014 to address the graft and corruption in Charter Change.” The rally’s primary call was to: “Jail Ranolfo Galliardo, Dr.Shawn Espina, a doctor from the the government. TC http://todayscarolinian.net MAIN OPINION Today’s CAROLINIAN 3 BACK TO SCHOOL SPECIAL: TUITION INCREASE Illustration by Zachary Borromeo Ah, another tuition increase. Money will never well as new and advanced equipment and ride; like a rock generating a hundred ripples cease to become the least of our problems. facilities. affecting our country’s future and working class. But this burden has already been There will always seem to be this unending However, we all know that these changes well underway and while there seems to be struggle for students to fight against the could equate to employees getting laid-off this losing fight to beat what has already tuition hike and every one of us can take from work. The recent strike that transpired been done, we can only beg to question: part of it. The tuition hike is a manifestation early Tuesday, May 20, 2014 at the Talamban How well will our money be allocated for the of a greater problem in society. This problem Campus was the result of the removal of the improvements of the institution? spirals down and affects not only the majority General Services Office (GSO) after rendering of the country’s youth sector but also everyone years of service to the University of San Every student has the right to acquire rendering their service to institutions. Carlos (USC). The GSO employees have been information and has the responsibility to retrenched and replaced by an outsourced disseminate what he knows.