Olongapo groups hold rally vs Gordons’ ‘meddling’

OLONGAPO CITY — Enraged over the two-day blockade of the Subic Bay Freeport’s gates which prevented many people from reporting for work, members of multisectoral groups here will stage a rally today to protest what they believe were politically motivated moves by the supporters of Olongapo Mayor Katherine Gordon and her husband, Tourism Secretary Richard Gordon.

The groups include the local chapter of the Partido ng Manggagawa (PM), the 10,000-strong Alyansa ng mga Magulang at Kabataan ng Olongapo (AMAKO), Sandigan-Sanlakas, Olongapo-Zambales-Bataan Alliance (OZBA), Alliance of Concerned Citizens of Olongapo for Reform and Development and other non-government organizations.

Toto Mendoza, a fisherman from Pamatawan, Subic, Zam-bales, said his daughter failed to report for work at Acer Phils. inside the freeport because of the barricades set up by Gordon’s followers.

The various groups will converge at the Olongapo City Hall to protest the alleged meddling of the Gordons.

Bien Miranda, a member of the AMAKO executive council, said the issue about the free-port’s administration is not who shall sit as SBMA chairman, but who is a better manager between Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) chairman Felicito Payumo and Richard Gordon, his predecessor.

Fr. Francel Page, OZBA chairman and a member of GOMBURZA, said President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo should look into the situation at Subic closely to see whether the disturbances there were politically motivated.

"We are putting the blame squarely on the shoulders of both Gordons. Walang ibang may sala dito kundi sina (No one else should be blamed here but) Tourism Secretary Richard Gordon and Mayor Katherine Gordon. Do not pass the buck to anybody else," the Partido ng Manggagawa said in a statement.

Last month, some 40 disgruntled employees of Freeport Services Corp. (FSC), a subsidiary of SBMA, staged a rally at the freeport’s gates, asking for Payumo’s ouster.

Business activities were paralyzed as they were also joined by residents known to be supporters of the Gordons in blocking all gates, except the ones in Tipo and Morong in Bataan.

The blockades have resulted in millions of pesos in losses to companies in the freeport.