Dumaguete City Mayor Agustin Perdices will meet with various sectors in the community this morning on how to address the ongoing labor dispute at the Dumaguete port, that has already caused huge economic losses to the public.

Provincial Police Director Sr. Supt. Melvin Ramon Buenafe yesterday said he has recommended that the mayor convene a special Crisis Management Committee after it was noted that operations at the port have not returned to normal, even with the lifting of the closure order of the facility on Saturday.

As of yesterday evening, reports said striking port workers affiliated with the Associated Labor Union-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines were still preventing the flow of incoming and outgoing cargo at the Dumaguete port.

The strikers have warned of continued mass actions in the coming days after Oscar Sevilla, general manager of the Philippine Ports Authority, ruled to have the PPA-Dumaguete take over, on a temporary basis, cargo handling operations in the city.

The directive specified that the PPA Special Take-over Unit will utilize the port workers of the Prudential Customs Brokerage Services Inc. instead of the striking union members.

Upon knowing this, the strikers immediately returned to their picket lines and gained entry to the pier area, allowing only passengers and hand-carried luggage in and out of the port.

Buenafe said he hopes the Crisis Management Committee can come up with unified and tangible solutions to the crisis at the city port.

Perdices has invited the PPA, the PNP, the Department of Labor and Employment, the National Labor Relations Commission, the port police, business sectors, and the Church to the meeting at City Hall today.

Meanwhile, Dumaguete Bishop John Du has appealed to those involved in the labor dispute to unite and come up with answers that will benefit the majority.

Du said the problem is the affair of everyone and therefore it is senseless to pass the blame around.

He also said he will send Msgr. Gamaliel Tulabing, vicar-general of the Dumaguete Diocese, to represent him to at the meeting.

He, however, stressed that the Church is there not to participate in the civil and political aspects of the dispute but to provide a spiritual venue for all concerned. *JG

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Meanwhile Perdices noted that some politicians were present during the talks on the issue of the port.

He said he hopes to resolve the issue at the local level, in response to speculations that the presence of politicians who are not from Negros Oriental.

In one of the meetings held at the PPA office, Rep. Ignacio Arroyo (Neg. Occ., 5th district) and brother of First Gentleman Mike Arroyo, were present along with local officials and Rep. George Arnaiz (Neg. Or, 2nd District).

“In fairness to Arroyo, he was only sitting and listening at the sideline,” the mayor said.

He added that it was Grace Ibuna of the Prudential Customs Brokerage Services Inc. who had talked with Arnaiz , and not the solon.

PCBSI lawyer Joel Obar denied speculations the company won the bidding because of Arroyo, who, he said, only came into the picture lately, while the business had been established in several seaports of the country for more than three decades.*JG

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