What overreaction?" Pia hits back at Malacañang's inaction on Hanjin deaths

Senator Pia S. Cayetano today lashed back at Press Secretary Cerge Remonde who earlier this week warned senators to not "overreact" on the issue of deaths and accidents at the Hanjin shipyard in Subic as it would affect the country's image as a business destination.

Cayetano said Remonde's statement reflected Malacañang's indifference to the plight of Hanjin workers who risk their lives and health everyday under unsafe working conditions at the sprawling shipyard.

"In the last two years, while all these deaths accidents were happening, Malacañang has refused to lift a finger or even go though the motion of ordering an investigation to assure the public that it's doing something. But now that the Senate has acted, they call it an 'overreaction.' What a disgrace!" the usually calm senator expressed in disgust.

"So may I ask Pres. Arroyo and her press secretary: When is it the right time to react and take action? After a hundred deaths? After all our laws have been violated at the expense of Filipino lives?"

"One death is already too many, then what more for 19 or 26 deaths and more than 4,000 work-related accidents? Malacañang's indifference reflects its law regard for workers' rights and interests. It's like they've already sold out the souls of Filipino workers to the devil. Their non-action and continued apathy is condemnable."

Cayetano, a lawyer, said the February 3 public hearing at the Senate showed that Hanjin had violated at least five provisions of the Labor Code, namely:

1. Lack of full-time physicians at the job site trained in occupational safety and health; 2. The hospital they have a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with (St. Jude's Family Hospital in Olongapo City) is more than five kilometers away; 2. Only 21 of its 101 subcontractors are registered with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), raising the possibility that the practice of labor-only contracting is rampant; 4. Refusal to allow DOLE to conduct safety inspections for nine years; 5. Unsafe working conditions, which is one of the causes of the accidents.

She added that it is also Hanjin's responsibility to ensure medical facilities and measures to address malaria, which is endemic in the area of the Redondo Bay where the shipyard was put up. At least three workers had died of malaria, according to officials of the non-government People's Task Force on Hanjin and Subic Bay.

Cayetano expressed readiness to support Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, Chair of the Senate Labor Committee, should the latter recommend to the DOLE to order the suspension of shipyard operations pending Hanjin's compliance with labor, occupational safety and health standards as prescribed under Philippine laws.

"The suspension is only a stop-gap measure to prevent more accidents and deaths. Hanjin could face civil and criminal liabilities for various safety standard violations. The Senate could also recommend the filing of criminal charges if the violations are found to fall under the Revised Penal Code. That's what our law states, I doubt if any level-headed person would consider any of this an overreaction." she said.

Cayetano, Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Social Justice, is the author of Philippine Senate Resolution No. 807, which prompted the Senate probe on the alarming deaths and accidents at the Hajin shipyard.

Earlier this month (January 21), she also delivered a privilege speech to question the interference of South Korean Ambassador Joong-Kyung, who had written and warned the Senate of "substantial and negative repercussions" should Hanjin become the subject of a Senate inquiry. This was two days before the 18th Filipino and four days before the 2nd Korean died in separate accidents at the shipyard.