Mankayan mayor defends issuance of LEU rally permit 05-09-04

	NORDIS WEEKLY September 4, 2005
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Mankayan mayor defends issuance of LEU rally permit
MANKAYAN, Benguet (Aug. 27) — Mankayan Mayor Manalo Galuten, in a faxed statement to NORDIS, clarified why he granted a permit for the July 23 rally at the national road traversing the mine site of the Lepanto Consolidated Mining Corporation (LCMCo) and stated he remained neutral on the issue of the mine workers strike. Galuten said that he issued the permit to the Lepanto Employees Union (LEU) because he has always put great respect to the inherent and constitutional right to peaceful assembly and for the workers to express their views without undue interference. Earlier LCMCo management whose workers went on strike resulting from a collapsed Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) in May, filed charges of graft and corruption against Galuten and his executive secretary Panelo Ambas after the mayor granted LEU a permit to rally. Ambas was LEU president when LCMCo workers went on strike in 2003. Galuten also pointed out that he did not authorize LEU to conduct a rally at the LCMCo property. The road going to Lepanto is a national road, Galuten said, used not only by the LCMCo but also by the residents of Pukitan, Palpatogan, Cabitin and Colalo, to name a few. He cited the NAMRIA map, which indicates that it is a national road. He also invoked the joint agreement between the management and the union signed earlier at the Benguet provincial capitol, which states, among others, that gates and roads shall be open for access of LEU members. He reiterated that he has “initiated several meetings purposely to mediate and settle the ongoing strike peacefully, bearing in mind the fact that the longer the strike will go, the longer people of Mankayan will suffer”. “I am one among those individuals who are trying to find solutions and strategy to end this damaging strike,” Galuten said. On August 30, over a thousand workers together with their families and supporters trooped to the Poblacion covered court and staged a rally in support to Galuten. LEU President Ninian Lang-agan criticized LCMCo for filing charges against the mayor. He stressed that the mining firm should respect the mayor, who was elected by the people of Mankayan. # Via NORDIS
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	NORDIS WEEKLY September 4, 2005
Home \| To bottom	Previous \| Next
Mankayan mayor defends issuance of LEU rally permit
MANKAYAN, Benguet (Aug. 27) — Mankayan Mayor Manalo Galuten, in a faxed statement to NORDIS, clarified why he granted a permit for the July 23 rally at the national road traversing the mine site of the Lepanto Consolidated Mining Corporation (LCMCo) and stated he remained neutral on the issue of the mine workers strike. Galuten said that he issued the permit to the Lepanto Employees Union (LEU) because he has always put great respect to the inherent and constitutional right to peaceful assembly and for the workers to express their views without undue interference. Earlier LCMCo management whose workers went on strike resulting from a collapsed Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) in May, filed charges of graft and corruption against Galuten and his executive secretary Panelo Ambas after the mayor granted LEU a permit to rally. Ambas was LEU president when LCMCo workers went on strike in 2003. Galuten also pointed out that he did not authorize LEU to conduct a rally at the LCMCo property. The road going to Lepanto is a national road, Galuten said, used not only by the LCMCo but also by the residents of Pukitan, Palpatogan, Cabitin and Colalo, to name a few. He cited the NAMRIA map, which indicates that it is a national road. He also invoked the joint agreement between the management and the union signed earlier at the Benguet provincial capitol, which states, among others, that gates and roads shall be open for access of LEU members. He reiterated that he has “initiated several meetings purposely to mediate and settle the ongoing strike peacefully, bearing in mind the fact that the longer the strike will go, the longer people of Mankayan will suffer”. “I am one among those individuals who are trying to find solutions and strategy to end this damaging strike,” Galuten said. On August 30, over a thousand workers together with their families and supporters trooped to the Poblacion covered court and staged a rally in support to Galuten. LEU President Ninian Lang-agan criticized LCMCo for filing charges against the mayor. He stressed that the mining firm should respect the mayor, who was elected by the people of Mankayan. # Via NORDIS
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