Nenaco hits ‘illegal, libelous’ statements of UFS

Negros Navigation Co. (Nenaco), the shipping subsidiary of Metro Pacific Corp. (MPC), lashed out yesterday at special interest group, United Filipino Seafarers (UFS) and its leader, Nelson Ramirez, for making untrue and libelous statements regarding the status of the company’s paid consultants.

"We know what Ramirez and his UFS is all about — creating false and misleading statements about a particular company. This is his modus operandi, which he has employed against companies such as Trans Asia and Sulpicio Lines," said Conrado A. Carballo, Nenaco president and general manager.

"The point is, Ramirez is not going to get any further with his irresponsible and scurrilous claims, and we pledge to the government officials that were targeted to become part of Ramirez’s misguided crusade that Nenaco will take the complete legal steps to stop UFS. We intend, in the coming days, to disclose the real agenda of UFS, the action of Ramirez and his paid public relations operatives, and most importantly, those of his financial backers," he added.

On March 31, 2003 in an official disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange, Nenaco clarified:

"There are only four expatriate consultants who have been contracted to work with Nenaco: Seumas Gallacher, George Cottrell, Gary Anderson and John Lea Smith. Gallacher is resident in the Philippines on a 13-A visa; the other three consultants are in the Philippines on recently approved and extended 9-G visas.

"David Nugent is not a consultant of Nenaco. A Filipino citizen born in the Philippines, Nugent is an executive officer of MPC, parent company of Nenaco, and advises Nenaco as part of his capacity as MPC vice president for media and corporate communications.

"Nenaco stresses that any allegation it employs foreigners under illegal terms is malicious attacks which detractors of the company continue to throw at the company, in a devious attempt to draw attention away from the success both management and employees of Nenaco have achieved in turning the company around during the past 18 months."