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THEY once fought for other people’s rights, and gave them a voice. Now, they are fighting for theirs.

Former Sunstar-Cagayan de Oro journalists and workers have filed 11 labor violation cases against the media company for illegal dismissal, and non-payment and under-payment of salaries and benefits even as they sought damages, documents made available to this paper show.

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Documents show that the group, led by former Sunstar-Cagayan de Oro editor in chief Pamela Jay Orias, filed separate complaints against Cebu-based Sunstar Publishing Inc., and Sunstar Cagayan de Oro Inc. on Oct. 20, 2020, before the National Labor Relations Commission in Region 10.

Named as respondents in the complaints are Sunstar presiding chair Gina Marie Atienza, and Julius Neri, president and general manager of the media company.

The complaining journalists are the then Sunstar-Cagayan de Oro associate editor Lynde Salgados, Sunstar Superbalita editor in chief Jenefer Besere and the paper’s former reporters Stephanie Berganio and Alwen Sariling.

The other complaining workers are former assistant machine operators Jason Abao and Ramoncito Mugot Jr., cashier Kris May Love Sialana, layout artist Johnny Lumod, production and circulation in-charge John Michael Ang, and circulation and delivery staff member Ruel Linao.

The media workers complained of illegal mass dismissal and sought damages for underpayment of salaries, and non-payment and underpayment of holiday pay, premium for holiday and rest day work, service incentive leave and 13th month pay.

The workers accused Sunstar of criminal neglect in paying their shares of the compulsory insurance coverage, and non-remittance of their deducted contributions to the Social Security System. Musni said the workers were denied of SSS benefits as a result.

Sunstar-Cagayan de Oro ceased publishing its papers in the city June 30 last year due to what the firm claimed to be years of “irrecoverable losses.” It said the Covid-19 pandemic aggravated the situation, prompting it to opt for permanent closure.

The workers’ lawyer, Beverly Selim-Musni, alleged that the complainants were improperly notified, and “neither is there any showing that the same notice of closure” and documents proving losses have been submitted to the labor department as required by law.

“Security of tenure is a right of the workers against unlawful dismissals,” Musni asserted.

She said the publisher debunked its own claims of closure due to losses in a public notice that it would “refocus” its resources on a “new found goal” — the digital platform.

Musni said Sunstar-Cagayan de Oro merely shifted to online operations even as she pointed out that the firm retained two workers, reporter Jo Ann Sablad and marketing supervisor Mitzilie Anga. She submitted screenshots of articles uploaded online as evidence that the firm did not cease operations last year.

She argued: “The totality of Sunstar CDO and Superbalita being in circulation and in digital platform, respondents’ admission of refocusing resources to the new setup and their alleged cessation of operation due to serious losses not supported with any iota of evidence renders the mass dismissal… illegal for lack of just or authorized cause…” (Herbie Gomez)

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The author served as city editor and later, associate editor of Sunstar-Cagayan de Oro in the ’90s.

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