Ceres drivers fight back-4

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By Modesto P. Sa-onoy

 

In last week’s column, we ended with the bunch of lawyers, Ceres Liner management and some women interrogating the drivers and conductors who narrated the facts of the parking of the 55 buses in another place.

The complaint against these persons continued to say that “Respondent lawyers and/or their staff and upon hearing the actual and true recollection of the events of August 7, 2019 from Complainants, applied veiled threats and other compulsive tactics to pressure Complainants to change their story. The complainants all pointed out that the targets of these deliberate pattern of compulsions by respondent lawyers and their staff were the Y4.”

I called the actuations of the lawyers “abominable” because they are supposed to help find and fight for the truth and not suppress or twist it as criminals do. That is indeed unfortunate because this complaint raises questions about their integrity.

The Complainants have also “similarly pointed out that the targets of these deliberate pattern of compulsions.” However, Trono, one of the drivers, has more to say in this regard.

“In the case of Trono and while he was being questioned by Atty. Katalbas, Atty. Entila, Entor, Bugtong, and Mr. Banibane were also in the cubicle.  And in the presence of all these people, Atty. Katalbas wants Trono to change his statement and to point to RJR and RSY as the ones that instructed them to park their units at Compound.”

Compounding the Nazi-like interrogation, the complaint said that when “Trono refused, they accused him of being a loyalist of RSY and threatened him that management will not take his refusal to support them (OVY, GYD and LRY) sitting down.  Banibane even tried to grab his cellphone, which was inside his sling bag and accused him of trying to record their conversation, which was, of course, not true.”

Why would Banibane be afraid of a recording?

I can understand if the interrogators wanted to get the complainants to be loyal to the forcibly installed administration of the company but to force loyalty is atrocious. Lawyers, of all people, know that. Forced loyalty is deceptive, even dangerous. The complainants showed they have better and higher moral values than their interrogators and for that matter, the values as well of Leo Rey who I presume knew the methods to be used. Leo Rey’s henchmen proved their loyalty but more so to salvage their reputation for their failed case against the Y4.

The complaint gave the purpose for this effort to pressure the complainants to commit perjury.

“The reason behind this grand conspiracy of coercing Complainants and their fellow drivers and conductors into changing their story and perjuring themselves was aptly stated by Complainant Hubac, thus:

“In the case of Hubac, Atty. Katalbas admitted to him that the reason why they wanted us to point at the Y4 is because the Carnapping Case they filed against RJR was dismissed and Entor was listening by the door and making sure that Hubac understands the message.”

Complainant Mondeja, in his separate Affidavit, corroborated Hubac’s statement as he also heard “Atty. Katalbas repeating those very similar remarks or words of the same import.”

According to the complaint, after their initial ordeal at the hands of respondents, several Complainants (Caparida and Ramirez among others) decided not to go back to the Head Office and as a consequence have not been allowed to go back to work (Rector and Tolentino) or have been effectively demoted (Trono) or worse, constructively dismissed (Guinanao).

And so thereafter the wheels of oppressive measures were unleased against those who refused to perjure themselves. These employees were punished because they spoke the truth. A bad commentary on those who ordered and those who enforced the plan to violate God’s law. Their action is a distorted display of power and the lawyers bowed to it.

What happened after their interrogation? The complaint said  “Unfortunately, other Complainants (Entroduction, Moreno and Tolentino), were compelled to go back to the Head Office for fear of losing their jobs and one particular Complainant (Guinanao), who has no intention of going back to the Head Office was “seized” by Entor and eventually ended up at the VTI Head Office, clearly, against his will.”

We continue tomorrow to discuss the next phase of this “conspiracy.”