• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
More than a month after he was ousted as president of the Progressive Alliance of Capitol Employees, Renelo Lastierre, has also been disqualified as a member of the worker’s union, by virtue of a resolution unanimously approved by the PACE board of directors.
PACE chairman Engr. Ruben Diamante yesterday said Lastierre has been disqualified as a member and board of director of PACE, since he is no longer a rank and file member, and that his present position as Special Operations 4, which exercises supervision of the personnel of Security Services Division, is in conflict to the Executive Order No. 180 (I. Coverage, Section 3) particularly, Article 4, Section 3(a) of the PACE Constitution and By Laws.
Section 3 of EO 180 states that high level employees normally considered as policy making, or managerial, with duties highly confidential in nature, shall not be eligible to join and to organize the rank and file employees, Diamante said.
He added that Lastierre, who was promoted several months ago to Salary Grade 22, was removed as PACE member, following the updating of their records, after the reorganization of the union.
Lastierre described his removal from PACE as “total harassment” on his part.
Based on the constitutions and by laws of PACE and the Collective Negotiation Agreement, he stressed rank and file employees are those with Salary Grade 23 and below.
Since he is Salary Grade 22, Lastierre said he does not belong to highly classified employees. “I don’t see any disqualification,” he further stressed.
Regarding his promotion, Lastierre it was even before the administration of Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson, stressing also that he was even elected as PACE president last year and reelected this year.
Why have they removed me from union membership only now, he asked.
What they are doing is purely for their vested interests, Lastierre further claimed.
Diamante clarified that Lastierre was not only the one being removed from PACE, but also other Chiefs of Hospitals being managed by the provincial government of Negros Occidental.
Whoever will be promoted to Salary Grade 22 and above will be removed from PACE, he further said.
Two months ago, Lastierre was recently stripped of his supervision over the Capitol “blue guards,” along with his issued firearm and service vehicles. He is presently the head of the provincial government Safety and Security Division and retains supervision over Capitol hired watchmen.
Responding to the purging of Lastierre from PACE, Gov. Lacson said “I think there is a basis for that,” stressing that he is no longer a rank and file member.*
