Tug-of-war over TUCP leadership continues

CEBU, Philippines - An official of the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) denied the report that there is a split in the country’s largest labor group, but the reply of another official shows otherwise.

TUCP Vice President Alejandro “Alex” Villaviza, in a statement, said “only the two sons of resigned president Democrito “Kito” Mendoza are trying to forcibly and illegally wrest control of what they perversely regard as their dynastic inheritance.”

“The sons, Raymond and Michael (Mendoza), have illusions of entitlement — that TUCP is like a chunk of family property that they can rightfully acquire by inheritance from their father,” said Villaviza.

“TUCP is not a family-owned corporation. We are not a piece of private real estate that the father can bequeath to his sons. We are a democratic center of various free labor federations,” said Villaviza.

Villaviza is the president of the Philippine Federation of Labor, an affiliate of TUCP. Every affiliate federation is represented in TUCP’s executive board by an official who holds the rank of (TUCP) vice president. Villaviza said that based on their rules, Kito has resigned and has since been succeeded by former Senator Ernesto Herrera.

The TUCP meetings called by the Mendoza brothers to invent a new set of officers “were all patently illegal,” said Villaviza, adding that it was done long after the national executive board had unanimously accepted their father’s resignation.

“Under our Constitution, once the president vacates his post, the secretary-general steps in as chief executive. This was how Senator Herrera became president,” Villaviza pointed out.

Villaviza said the Mendoza brothers produced a letter, supposedly signed by their father, withdrawing his resignation.

But Raymond, in a statement, said that Herrera is no longer the TUCP secretary-general, thus misrepresenting himself as president of TUCP.

“Atty. Democrito Mendoza rescinded his letter of resignation after the majority of the TUCP General Council pleaded with Atty. Mendoza not to resign from TUCP. He remains and continues to be the President of TUCP,” Raymond explained.

Raymond accused Herrera of mishandling the funds intended for TUCP projects and external audit showed the unliquidated advances of P2.5 million.

He said that Herrera and his cohorts will face multiple charges of financial wrongdoings after the external audit of TUCP funds is completed.

“We are happy to begin anew in TUCP without Herrera, Villaviza and other supposedly labor leaders who do not actually have followers,” Raymond said.

“The end of the Herrera period will now energize TUCP to put a stop to job contractualization, by passing stronger laws respecting security of tenure and making labor-only contracting a criminal offense,” he further said. (FREEMAN)