HUNDREDS of employees and supporters of formerly Dealco-run Vitas Slaughterhouse trooped to Manila City Hall Monday morning protesting the recent takeover of the slaughterhouse by the city government.

Over 400 workers and followers held protests at the Bonifacio Shrine, saying they feared losing their jobs after the Tondo-based slaughterhouse was acquired by City Hall last Friday for alleged violations of the lease contract and failure to pay taxes.

In a bid to pacify the protesters, Manila police chief Supt. Roberto Rosales announced that the city government will absorb the 600 employees of the firm.

However, seven demonstrators, including Dealco stockholder Paul Alcoreza, were arrested during the commotion when they entered the City Session Hall to accompany Manila Councilor Dennis Alcoreza.

Paul Alcoreza, 25, and a certain Noel Batac, 24, were hurt and claimed the police punched and dragged them to the police station.

Police said they will charge the protesters with violations of Articles 146 and 148 for illegal assembly.

At the press conference at the City Session Hall, over 30 councilors from different cities in Metro Manila were clad in black as a sign of protest.

Alcoreza claimed Friday’s takeover was “unconstitutional” and mocked the rule of law.

“My family faced persecution and injustice in the hands of Mayor Lim,” he said. “Kayo po ang tagapagsunod sa batas, hindi po kayo ang batas [You are just supposed to be the enforcer of the law; you are not the law, sir].”

In the recent takeover, Councilor Alcoreza was dragged out of the building after adamantly refusing to turn over the facility.

Lim claimed they were just asking Dealco to pay the correct taxes; otherwise, they wouldn’t have carried out the takeover.

Dealco is a private concessionaire contracted by the city government in 2001 to operate the Tondo-based slaughterhouse.

Lim said Dealco, which earns billions of pesos a year, contracted another private corporation to run the slaughterhouse; this, according to him, is not part of the agreement.

Vitas Slaughterhouse is being operated by Meatworld International, which is owned by Alcoreza’s family, Lim added.

“In the agreement, the City of Manila is supposed to have a 1-percent share from the slaughterhouse’s operations,” Lim said. “They have not been paying taxes from 2002.” TJ Agcaoili

Lim said Dealco owes the city government as much as P46,154,230.06.  

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HUNDREDS of employees and supporters of formerly Dealco-run Vitas Slaughterhouse trooped to Manila City Hall Monday morning protesting the recent takeover of the slaughterhouse by the city government.

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