Page 36 - Hello Philippines February 2016 'B' issue

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MANILA - Myrna “Shiony”
Asuncion-Binamira still remembers
the instruction she and 34 colleagues
from the National Computer Center
were drafted to tabulate the votes of
the February 7, 1986 snap elections
between Ferdinand Marcos and
Corazon Aquino.
“They actually made us wear white
shirts as our uniform for the Comelec
(Commission on Elections), which is
not the usual outfit of IT developers.
But it was to symbolize ‘purity,’ a clean error.
election.”
That, of course, did not happen.
Sitting around a table to share a
delicious meal and a couple of long
overdue toasts, 17 of the 35 computer
specialists reminisced, some with
light humor, their walkout from the
Philippine International Convention
Center 30 years ago, the evening of
February 9, 1986, when they noticed
that the results being posted on the
boards, which were being announced
to the public as official, did not match
what they were entering into their
computers.
The walkout inadvertently helped
spark the People Power uprising weeks
later by underscoring what most people
suspected, that the dictator and his
minions had rigged the snap elections
to ensure he remained in power.
From the start of the counting, the
day after the snap elections, they knew
something was wrong.
“I will never forget the hecklers
on our first day,” Dennie Estolas-Vista
recalled. “While we had the number
of votes tabulated already on our part,
the posting of the results on the board,
which was shown to the public, were
not released as fast. So, because of that being done.”
delay, people were getting impatient,
calling us names and saying we were
doctoring the results.”
ITF to bring complaint to ILO over GPH failure to probe killings of trade unionists
MANILA - Reports reaching Manila
indicated on Saturday that the
International Transport Workers’
Federation (ITF) is joining forces
with the National Confederation
of Transport Workers’ Unions
Workers call for justice for the extra-judicial killing of labor leader Antonio Petalcorin. Photo from apl.org.ph crimes has created a culture of impunity
NEWS
“It hurt because that obviously be, not with the press swarming them
wasn’t true. We were just doing our and the realization that what they had
jobs and had no part in the actual just done could put them in all too real
cheating,” she added. danger, not to mention that the then
opposition would, of course, want to
On their first night on the job, they exploit the walkout to their advantage.
worried that the discrepancy between
their count and what was being posted “We were asked were we wanted
on the boards was from a bug in their to go,” says Celine Vinoya-Rivera, who
program. But when US senators visited was among those who rode the first van
the PICC to observe the counting the out of the PICC. “We were offered to be
next day, and the numbers matched, protected at Cory’s headquarters or be
they were assured it was not a technical brought to the Cojuangco building, but
we refused. We didn’t want to choose
a side, especially a political one. We
When the mismatch between the didn’t stand for or against anyone, so
computer tabulation and the figures we decided to go to a neutral place:
being made public resumed after the Baclaran Church.”
senators left, this time even worse than
the night before, that was it for them. Over the next several days, they
They decided it was something they moved from place to place -- Camp
wanted no part of. Aguinaldo, the Loyola House of Studies
at the Ateneo, the Cenacle retreat
And so they left. house.
“We didn’t do it to become heroes
or start a revolution,” says Linda But more than the danger to
(Kapunan) Angeles-Hill, then the themselves, especially for those
project manager. “We walked out who were already married and with
because what was happening was children, it was what could befall their
against our morals. We acted to keep families that made the days after the
our professional integrity. And we were walkout really harrowing
insulted by the fact that the program we
worked so tirelessly on for two months In their last week in hiding, Luchie
became merely irrelevant because the and Mario Lavin realized that they
end results would be rigged.” were right next to where their children
Achie Concepcion-Jimenez adds: were being taken care of.
“We just did not want to be puppets.
We did not want to be an instrument “It was both reassuring and
in a grand scheme of deception. But painful to be able to hear your
despite that, we also did not do it to children’s laughter from the other side.
spite Marcos or root for Cory. There Sometimes, we could even hear them
was no political agenda whatsoever in having breakfast from where we were,”
our walking out of the PICC years ago. Luchie recalls.
It was only a matter of doing what’s
right or staying silent as wrong was Talking to a nun at the Cenacle,
Mina broke down, fearing she might
Oh, and yes, all they wanted was no longer see her two-month old baby
to go somewhere to drink their blues and older kids. She had just returned
away. from maternity leave on February 1
But, of course, that, too, was not to when she was assigned to the Comelec
tabulation project by the NCC.
When the Comelec 35 were finally
able to go home, it was February 20,
(NCTU) and the Center of United and trade unionists, including NCTU leader
Progressive Workers (SENTRO) to bring Antonio Petalcorin.”
a complaint against the government
of the Philippines over its “failure to The complaint, to the International
adequately investigate the murders Labor Organization’s (ILO) Committee on
and victimization of a number of Freedom of Association, said the lack of
independent judicial inquiries into these
that reinforces a climate of violence and
insecurity that has a damaging effect on
the exercise of trade union rights.
“These actions and omissions
constitute violation of the internationally case against the director and the roles
accepted principles of freedom of
association set out in ILO convention
87,” ITF said in a statement.
In 2012, Antonio Petalcorin, activist
and then president of the NCTU, along
with two union colleagues, filed a
complaint against the director of the
Land Transportation Franchising Board
of Davao (LTFRB), alleging corruption.
February 2016 / Fortnightly – No. 4 • UK & Europe Edition
The 17 of the Comelec 35 who made it to their reunion: (standing) Luchi, Cooly, Charles, Mina, Shiony, Gi, Maleen,
Denny, Mayo, Alice, Thess, Linda. (seated) Jane, Naz, Celine, Achie, Issa. (contributed photo)
only two days before the crowds began
massing on EDSA.
Since then, the “accidental heroes”
of the Comelec 35 have gone their
separate ways, about half of them
leaving for abroad, some acquiring new
family names along the way, others no
longer in the profession they started
out in. One of them has passed on.
Yet the bonds they formed that
night 30 years ago when they chose
to stand up against what clearly went
against their sense of professionalism
and propriety remain strong.
As they spoke about how they felt
about that day, the words “regret”
and “fear” did not pop up in the
conversation. And for all the words to
describe what happened, what they all
agreed on was that it was, obviously,
“life-changing.”
The Comelec 35:
1. Mina Bergara
2. Nori Bolado
3. Zoe Castro
4. Charles Chan
5. Achie Concepcion-Jimenez
6. Erick Celestino
7. Marissa Contreras-Legaspi
8. Maleen Cruz-Ngan
Among other things, the petitioners
claimed that the director took bribes in government of the Philippines to
exchange for franchise approvals.
Over the subsequent eight months,
Mr Petalcorin was shot dead, one of
his colleagues was killed and another
was subjected to threats and violence,
forcing him and his wife to go into
hiding.
“The ITF and co-complainants
believe these murders are linked to the
of these men as trade union leaders,”
ITF elaborated. “A police investigation
into the possible involvement of the
director and/or LTFRB in the murder
of Mr Petalcorin was opened but never
concluded and no perpetrators have
ever been brought to justice for any of
these crimes.”
ITF general secretary Steve Cotton
9. Dennie Estolas-Vista
10. Bambi Flor-Sena
11. Naz Gutierrez III
12. Luchie Lavin
13. Mario Lavin
14. Rubi Macato-Slater
15. Euly Molina-Legro
16. Nitro Palomares-Castro
17. Maite de Rivera
18. Bing Romero-Justo
19. Vangie Saludares
20. Irma Sunico-Buno
21. Jules Valderrama
22. Celine Vinoya-Rivera
23. Linda (Kapunan) Angeles-Hill
24. Myrna “Shiony” Asuncion-
Binamira
25. Jane Rosales-Yap
26. Cooly Culiat-Medina
27. Alicia Torres
28. Ernie Alberto
29. Marisa Briones-Allarey (+)
30. Marissa Almendral
31. Gi Antonio-Silva
32. Rory Asuncion
33. Bot Bautista
34. Erlyn Barza
35. Thess Baltazar-Roberto n Meoni
Erika F. Bergara (special to InterAksyon.com) / February
10, 2016 /1:58 pm
said: “The steps taken by the
investigate these crimes clearly fall
woefully short of what is expected
in instances of such violence and
victimization.
“We call on the ILO to intervene
to make sure justice is done and to
put an end to the current approach
of the government of the Philippines
to the right of workers to freedom of
association which is at best apathetic
and at worst corrupt.”
General Secretary of SENTRO
Josua Mata added: “Workers in the
Philippines have been let down by a
system and an environment which
is allowing anti-worker, anti-union
activity to thrive. We can’t stand by
and let that continue.” n InterAksyon.com
/ February 6, 2016 / 6:48 pm