Union set to welcome new batch of officials

Mankayan, Benguet – The members of the Lepanto Employees Union – National Federation of Labor Unions – Kilusang Mayo Uno (LEU-NAFLU-KMU) will soon be seeing the newly elected officers to seek office after their induction on July 1. The induction takes place in the union hall.

Last June 23, the general membership of LEU chose their new officials in the union’s regular local elections (LE) at the Mankayan National High School.The said LE turned out to be generally peaceful and credible as no protest had been registered from any of the candidates.

The new batch of officers will succeed the positions to be left by the officers elected in a special LE two years ago. The special elections was held after LEU officers for the years 2002-2007 gave their ultimate sacrifice and accepted dismissal to end the union’s 101 day strike against the management of Lepanto Consolidated Mining Company (LCMCo) for the members’ reinstatement to their works.

The new members of the executive committee are President-elect Manuel Binhaon, Vice-President-elect Samuel Rosito, re-electionist Secretary Warden Lapaddic, Asst. Secretary Mario Soposop, re-electionist Alejandro Sulang as treasurer, Asst. Treasurer Manuel Enyaka, Auditor Dionibong Saldo and Bus. Manager Warren Managtag.

Composing the Board of Directors (BOD) for the mine department are Juanito Bagwan, Higenio Ginpac, Anastacio Kimpay, Richard Lamlamag, Micheal Lang-agan, Lon Baday, Thomas Faroga, Bonifacio Damagon, Feliciano Caguay and James Basitan.

BOD members from Technical Services Groupm (TSG) are Patricio Balong-angey, Prudencio Bantew. Cesar Lokino and Ceasar Ledda for the Mill department. Frank Samdao and Paranis Saya-an for Mine Mechanical and Electrical (MME) dept. Samson Fotyong for Inventory Management Department/Finance dept. Materno Edic for Mine Engineering and Geology dept. while Federico Raymundo for the Administration dept..

Meanwhile, KMU Cordillera congratulated the officers. KMU regional spokesperson James Tulipa said that the concluded election showed how the democratic rights as well as political will of the members were expressed. Tulipa added that the new officers should bear in mind the gains and lessons from the struggles of the Lepanto workers especially the two strikes which took place on 2003 and 2005. “They should also always uphold the principles of genuine unionism wherein the interests of the general membership come first."