Former Ceres bus workers decry ‘illegal, unjust’ policies

By: Emme Rose Santiagudo

Around 60 former workers of Vallacar Transit’s flagship brand, Ceres Bus Liners, in Panay island demanded for accountability and immediate action against the illegal charges, unjust payments, and other transparency issues clouding the bus company.

In a press conference on Monday, Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino (BMP) and Displaced Ceres Workers Association-Iloilo composed of drivers and passenger assistance officers or “konduktors” who went absent without official leave (AWOL) expressed dismay against the management of Ceres Liner for alleged injustices they long endured in the company.

“The workers of Ceres Liner, specifically drivers and conductors, being the most important segment of the company’s operations and primary source of the company’s accumulation of wealth, are not given just compensation despite their invaluable contribution to the growth of the company,” they lamented in their statement.

Mark Louie De Asis, 38, of Dumangas town in Iloilo recalled that the company fined him for the damages of the bus unit that he was driving which collided with another vehicle way back in 2017.

According to De Asis, he was charged P1,200 per month for a period of ten months for the P138,000 worth of damages.

“Sang 2017 may nabungguan ako nga salakyan and ang natabo ako ang namalayran sa charges ko kay ang gakatabo sa amon kon ano matabo sa unit kami ang mabayad sang charges,” he said in a press conference on Monday.

De Asis said that the P1,200 deduction from his only P8,000 to P10,000 monthly salary at that time, was too heavy and unbearable for him. Hence, after ten months of paying for the charges, he decided to go AWOL.

“Ginsettle sa opisina half sa opisina, half sa akon pero indi na gid ko kaagwanta kay sa akon ruta, gamay lang gid ang makuha ko nga percentage,” he lamented.

Other AWOL drivers and konduktors also claimed that they were also charged for damages of their bus units that figured in accidents.

Aside from the charges, Displaced Ceres Workers Association-Iloilo President Gil Tabares said the company had been charging them with questionable line cash advance or allowance and taxes as high as P4,000 per month.

“Indi transparent ang pagdeduct nila sa tax namon and ang amon nga line cash advance nagabayad kami P40 per roundtrip. Sa isa ka adlaw, gabayad kami P80 to P160 depende sa biyahe tapos subong nagrelease sila memo nga indi na sila kuno manukot sang line cash advance sa mga bag-o,” he said.

The displaced workers also decried issues on their payroll; unjust separation pay; illegal dismissal, and charges; pushing for the workers’ voluntary resignation; and non-disclosure of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) among others.

“Wala naman kami dugang nga ginapangayo, ang amon lang tani ang ginkuha lang nila sa amon. Ibalik lang nila ang ginareklamo namon nga line cash advance, illegal charges kag tax kung pwede mabalik lang nila sa amon,” he appealed.

For the longest time, Tabares said that they have kept silent due to the inaction from the management.

“Ang amon union wala nagaprotekta sa amon kay company side ang union. Kon magreklamo kami ire-route nila kami halimbawa from Iloilo kami, ire-reroute kami sa Antique. Syempre nahadlok kami kay wala kami apin, wala kami abogado. Subong na lang. Naghalalin na kami. Indi na sila katandog kay naghalalin na kami,”he said.

Amid the feud in the Yanson clan, owners of Vallacar Transit, Tabares appealed for the management’s action on the unresolved issues concerning the displaced workers.

“Panawagan namon sa kompanya nga tani transparent man sila sa ila mga tawo. Ang amon lang tani if mabalik nila ang kwarta willing man kami mabalik kami sa obra,” he said.