MANILA, Philippines—The two rival factions of the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines, said to be the country’s largest workers’ confederation with 1.2 million members, continue to slug it out.
The camps of rival presidents Ernesto Herrera and Democrito Mendoza are mustering their supporters among TUCP’s more than 30 unions, federations and affiliates.
Herrera, a former senator and long-time secretary general of TUCP, claimed the presidency after the 89-year-old Mendoza resigned on Nov. 1. He is reported to be mobilizing his forces for a new convention.
Mendoza, who was reported to have been “prevailed upon by other leaders to revoke his resignation,” expelled Herrera. A statement from TUCP assistant general secretary Hernan Nicdao warned that any convention called by Herrera would be illegal.
Herrera countered that his reported expulsion from the TUCP was “the handiwork of a usurper president, hence, had no legal bearing.”
Herrera, in a phone interview with the INQUIRER, said the Mendoza faction wanted to make TUCP a “family fief.” In a letter to TUCP members, he claimed Mendoza’s reported withdrawal of his resignation was meant to give his sons Michael and Raymond “a chance to grab the leadership” of TUCP.
Herrera said with Mendoza’s exit, founding members have re-activated membership in TUCP, such as the National Union of Bank Employees, National Labor Union, Philippine Association of Free Labor Unions, Confederation of Filipino Workers, National Federation of Labor Unions and the National Federation of Labor.
NUBE president Jose Umali, in a separate statement, said he supported Herrera, adding, “We have waited for so long to see the end of the Mendoza-controlled TUCP which is the very reason why NUBE distanced itself from it. Thirty-five years of undemocratic and family-motivated interests have been far too long for the Philippine labor movement to suffer. We welcome the succession of Brother Herrera as TUCP President and expect that this will usher in a new dawn for the country’s labor movement.”
The NUBE is the biggest labor organization of bank employees in the Philippines.
“Attorney Mendoza has resigned. All of his actions after Nov. 9, 2011 [when the TUCP executive board accepted his resignation] are illegal. He has no authority to call for any TUCP-related meeting, including the election of a new general secretary and other positions in TUCP,” Herrera said in a statement.
On the other hand, the Mendoza camp warned its members against attending any convention convened by Herrera.
The Mendoza camp insisted the 89-year-old leader remained the legal president.
Last Tuesday, the Mendoza faction announced it had ousted Herrera and his allies from TUCP for betrayal, dishonesty and acts inimical to the group.
“Former senator Herrera can no longer validly represent himself as TUCP in whatever capacity, said Nicdao in a statement.
Nicdao said they received information that the Herrera camp has reportedly scheduled a convention and election of new officers. He warned that any TUCP union-member who participates in the Herrera-convened meeting would be sanctioned.
“All of our affiliates must exercise propriety at all times because we are the biggest labor organization in the country,” Nicdao pointed out. He said that the TUCP Board is merely protecting the organization from being politicized.
In his statement, Nicdao said he believed the animosity between Mendoza and Herrera could have been triggered by the decision of Malacañang to formalize the appointment of Rosalinda Manabat, a nominee recommended by Mendoza as representative to the National Anti Poverty Commission.
Nicdao said that Herrera recommended a different individual and even wrote a letter to President Aquino to express his disappointment over the President’s decision to honor Mendoza’s candidate. “I do not understand why Mr. Herrera had to question the wisdom of the President,” he said.