CAMPAIGN AGAINST SUBIC FREE PORT EXPLOITATION

People's Recovery, Empowerment and
Development Assistance Foundation, Inc.

PREDA CAMPAIGN ISSUES:

Campaign Against Subic Free Port Exploitation

Some examples of the ruling dynasty's exploitation of the Subic Bay Freeport are:

Denying jobs to the political opposition and giving lots to cronies. Computerization of voter's IDs by the SBMA.
No union nor organizing allowed. A man came to cause oriented groups and sought assistance because he was illegally detained, interrogated and then fired from work by the SBMA authorities.

The line of interrogation, according to him, was to admit that he was organizing a worker's union and to tell the people who joined that union. When he denied it, he was detained and subsequently brought to Camp Cabal without any charges.

He was asking our assistance to file his case to the Human Rights Commission and to the Department of Labor. Incidentally, the man was from a political opposition group.
A large percentage of SBMA workers are casuals and are not Civil Service eligibles. Only a handful are regular. No medical benefits nor minimum salary.

Most of the employees are for political favors. There are reports that SBMA will put up a private organization to act as the employer of the SBMA employees. The scheme is suspected to circumvent the Civil Service law.
Volunteers are being exploited. They work for free with only a promise of a job for them or some relative. No allowance is paid and they must provide their own tools and food.
Certificate of Volunteerism is required before employment.
Discrimination in favor of foreign investors against Filipinos. Filipinos were gunned down by the SBMA guards. Most of the winners in the biddings were foreign owned consortia.
Destruction of the Subic rain forest to benefit the foreign investors. A road was built in Tipo supposedly to decongest the City road. Rather than opening the Bataan gate, the SBMA chose to spend millions of people's money to make us look rich and good in the eyes of the APEC leaders.

If a coastal road was built from Bataan to Manila rather than the Tipo Road, to go to Manila via the Lahar lands at Pampanga, the long term result will be more cheaper and effective.
Violation of the Philippine Constitutional provision against nuclear weapons by allowing US nuclear carrying warships to enter and dock at the SBMA. This again results in the return of adult and child prostitution.
Commission On Audit Report shows that the Subic Free port authorities are unable to account for millions of pesos of public money and assets. (See Inquirer columns in the Archives).