Pantranco workers get benefits worth millions

By Mar T. Supnad

STO. TOMAS, Pangasinan-   Tens of millions of pesos were received  by more than 2,000 retrenched employees of the defunct government-owned Pantranco Bus in a second wave of payment distributed in this town, in San Jose City, Nueva Ecija  and in Hermosa, Bataan, in what they called “ benefits resurrected from the dead.”

The distribution of payment was initiated by Romulo Alfonso, president of the Pantranco Retrenched Employees Association (PANREA) and Jun Pascua, president of the Pantranco Employees Association (PEA), legitimate employees’ organizations recognized by the government.

           

Alfonso and Pacua said each employee received a total of P53,000.

           

Earlier,  P28,000 was distributed to each employee  in San Jose City, followed by P25,000.

           

Aside from these, there had been earlier benefits awarded to GOCC employees.

“Actually, patay na itong benefits na ito dahil sa tagal ng nagsaraang company, pero inilaban natin sa kagustuhan nating magkaroon ng benepisyo ang mga libu-libong kawani na nawalan ng trabaho, at eto ngayon, nabuhay mula sa patay.” Alfonso and Pascua said.

        

The source of the fund, the PANREA and PEA presidents said, came from proceeds of the Pantranco bus franchise that was sold to a private buyer.

           

Only 489 franchises were initially sold to the Hernandez family and the remaining franchises will be again offered to interested buyers with the consent of the vendee, the two leaders said.

         

It was learned that there were 777 total franchises of Pantranco, a government-controlled corporation that was once the biggest bus company in the country.

           

Pantranco, however, went bankrupt after it was taken over by the government right after the downfall of then President Marcos.

          

Since the deal of selling the franchise was approved, Alfonso and Pascua, reportedly received numerous death threats, harassments and even extortion activities from what they called “renegade” employees who wanted to “sabotage” the distribution of benefits of the employees.

           

The “rebel employees” reportedly threatened Pascua and Alfonso with death and suits, then filed numerous unfounded cases before Department of Labor.

              

They reportedly offered the former two presidents of the bus company millions of pesos to be taken from the benefits of the employees.

          

 During the first hour of distribution of benefits June 22 in San Jose City, Alfonso said that the renegade employees tried to block it, which prompted him to seek the assistance of the police.

           

 When the police arrived, the renegade employees suddenly vanished, said Alfonso. “Gusto nilang pakialaman ang pera, di naman sila ang lehitimong lider ng mga kawani, na may mandate,” said Alfonso.

        

 Some of the employees claimed that they were hoodwinked into signing a petition that was later used by the renegades against Alfonso and his board of directors.        


“Attendance sheet lang iyong pinermahan namin four years ago, eto pala ginamit sa paggawang kaso laban kina Mr. Alfonso,” the complainant- employees added.