De Castro sued by former television show staff

Manila: Vice-President Noli de Castro, whose image as a credible news anchor launched him to the Philippines' second highest post, was sued yesterday by his defunct television show's staff for illegal dismissal and allegedly "committing every unfair practice in the labour code".

"Give us justice. That's all we ask," said Joseph Hernal, one of seven writers who filed a complaint with the National Labour Commission, the agency that arbitrates unfair labour cases. "De Castro is not pro-poor as he portrays himself to be. His public image is a product of television."

Aside from the writers, the complainants also include two researchers, three cameramen, two assistant cameramen/drivers and a production assistant, who were formerly connected with De Castro's special report programme Magandang Gabi, Bayan (Good Evening, Philippines) which ran for almost 18 years.

"Everything that endeared him to the masses came from his staff," said Hernal. It was the show's staff members who should be largely credited for De Castro's achievements, he added.

Also charged in the complaint were De Castro's wife Arlene, Allan Sinsuat and Ariel Nepomuceno all Bayan Productions incorporators for allegedly committing every unfair practice in the labour code.

Labour arbiter Virgilio Azarraga set the preliminary hearings on February 22 and 27.

Among the grounds cited in the complaint filed with the National Labour Relations Commission was that De Castro abandoned the complainants without giving them severance pay after the ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corp pulled the long-running weekly show off the air on December 31, 2005.

The specific charges filed were illegal dismissal, illegal suspension, illegal layoff and non-regularisation, underpayment and/or non-payment of benefits, and unfair labour practice.

But De Castro said that all employees of Bayan Productions, including himself, were just "talents" in the show which meant there really was no employer-employee relationship.