The daughter of a union leader reports her father was hit in the face with a truncheon, also known as a billy club, while peacefully handing out fliers at ICTSI’s terminal in Manila. ICTSI is the private terminal operator that’s behind ongoing problems at Portland’s Terminal 6. Honduran union dockworkers have reported violence at their terminal since ICTSI privatized Puerto de Cortes this year.
Fresh protests against the expanded truck ban in Manila turned violent Thursday as six men, including the officers of a cargo transport organization, were hurt in a scuffle with armed port security personnel.
Ricky Papa, chair of the Alliance of Concerned Truck Owners and Organizations (ACTOO), and fellow officers Jerwin Dumanog, Rolly Reyes, Jay Castillo and two members suffered head and shoulder injuries after about 30 security guards tried to stop them from distributing flyers at Manila International Container Terminal (MICT), the Inquirer learned.
The guards were reportedly from the International Container Terminal Services Inc. (ICTSI), operator of the MICT.
ACTOO director Rina Papa, Ricky’s daughter, said she and her colleagues were peacefully handing out flyers to truck drivers and port workers entering the MICT at the corner of Road 10 and the MICT South Access Road when members of the RVV Security Agency arrived and broke up their gathering.
She said her father was hit with a truncheon in the face. “We will talk with the ICTSI management regarding the incident, but no matter what the outcome of the dialogue may be, we will still be filing cases against them,” Papa said.