Labor union boss tells members to support Garcia for senator

Two senate aspirants, both women, were guests of the 14th national congress of the country’s largest trade union held  in Cebu City.

Only one of them got the labor group’s endorsement.

“The union is committed to vote for (Gov. Gwen) Garcia for senator,” announced Democrito “Kito” Mendoza, outgoing national president of the Associated Labor Unions- Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (ALU-TUCP), which claims 250,000 members nationwide.

He addressed close to 700 delegates of the 14th Grand National Congress at the Mariner’s Court in what looked like impromptu remarks after the governor gave a welcome speech.

“Our governor is to be elected senator of the Republic of the Philippines.  For sure, all our members and officers will vote for Gwen Garcia. I urge all who are here now and all members of the union (to support her),” said the 89-year-old Cebuano labor leader.

The other senate aspirant, former Las Pinas Rep. Cynthia Villar, was also in the hall as a guest and played it low key.

“It is their discretion. I am a good friend of ALU but when election comes, that (endorsement) is for them to decide,” she told reporters later.

Whatever will be the union’s decision, Villar said she would continue her pro-labor advocacy because workers are the engines of the nation’s economy. Villar, wife of Sen. Manuel Villar, plans to run under the Liberal Party-Nacionalista party and NPC Coalition in 2013.

The keynote speaker, Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr., said top priorities of the 15th Congress would be legislation that promotes business competition, foreign investments and the competitiveness of Filipino workers.  (See related story on page 5.)

Governor Garcia had just finished welcoming the audience, recalling the origins of ALU-TUCP in the pier area of Cebu City in 1954. After her remarks, Mendoza, one of the founding fathers of ALU-TUCP, announced the group’s support.

Garcia later said she had planned to seek the support of ALU-TUCP but that Mendoza announced his pledge even before she could formally solicit it.

“I did not expect this. I was just invited to welcome all congress participants as the Cebu governor,” she told reporters.

“I’m really overwhelmed with emotion. We all know the solid force of ALU TUCP. They have 250,000 members who have families as well.”

Governor Garcia is on the ticket of the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) led by Vice President Jejomar Binay, former president Joseph Estrada and Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile.

(While she was delivering her speech, Rep. Tomas Osmeña of Cebu City’s south district walked into the hall. Instead of joining VIPs at  the presidential table, he sat with reporters  and listened, then stood up to leave at the end of the speech.)

All Cebu congressmen were invited to the affair, including officials of the labor department.

The ALU-TUCP holds its supreme national congress every five years.

A ceremony was scheduled yesterday for the turnover of leadership to Mendoza’s son, Michael Mendoza, as national president and Gerard Seno as the new national executive vice president. Another son of Mendoza, Raymond, is the ALU-TUCP  party-list representative in Congress.

A power struggle between senior figures in the ALU-TUCP broke out last year, with Mendoza’s faction ousting former senator Ernesto Herrera as secretary general in  March.

Both sides traded allegations of fund misuse and mismanagement.

Kito Mendoza tendered his resignation last year but was prevailed upon by other union leaders to stay on until the changing of the guards yesterday.