By CESAR JOLITO III
Sugar stakeholder Aurelio Gerardo Valderrama, Jr. has denied allegations that he failed to pay workers their legally mandated wages and benefits, calling the claims “false” and “malicious.”
In a statement released yesterday, Valderrama, through his legal counsel, said documents submitted during conferences with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) allegedly refute accusations of underpayment and nonpayment of wages and employee benefits.
The statement came days after farm workers from Hacienda Lolita at Barangay Luna in Negros Occidental’s Cadiz City publicly accused Valderrama of unfair labor practices and appealed for government intervention over their complaints, which are currently pending before the DOLE.
Valderrama’s legal counsel said the complainants allegedly turned to social media after realizing they could not legally challenge the payroll and employment records presented during the proceedings.
“The office of Mr. Valderrama produced pertinent records that debunked claims of underpayment and nonpayment of wages and benefits,” the statement said, adding that the social media posts were intended to pressure their client into conceding to what they described as “unreasonable and baseless demands.”
The stakeholder’s camp said the DOLE is set to conduct an inspection of the farms, including payroll records, time records and other employment documents, expressing confidence that the inspection will validate their client’s compliance with labor laws.
Valderrama, who serves as president of the Confederation of Sugar Producers Associations (Confed), The Sugar Association, and the VICMICO Planters Cooperative, maintained that he has “nothing to hide” and reiterated his guiding principle of “a fair day’s wage for a fair day’s labor.”
The legal counsel further warned that if “mudslinging” on social media continues, Valderrama may pursue legal action before the proper courts.
The labor dispute remains pending before the DOLE, which is expected to determine the merits of the complaints following its inspection and evaluation of the parties’ submissions.
Hacienda workers to seek DA help
The workers, led by Larry Valentin and represented by the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers – Negros, through Atty. Clarence Gordoncillo, in a press conference in Bacolod City, said they filed a formal complaint before the DOLE on June 10.
The document lists alleged violations involving minimum wage, 13th-month pay, service incentive leave, retirement benefits, as well as claims involving their carabao share and Sugar Amelioration Program or Sugar Amelioration Bonus.
The document also indicates that an initial conference was scheduled for June 25.
According to the workers, legal proceedings are ongoing, but no settlement has been reached.
The workers also submitted a letter dated July 15, to Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr., urging the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) to look into what they described as years of labor-related grievances.
In their letter, they alleged that despite spending decades cultivating Valderrama’s sugarcane fields, they were denied benefits guaranteed under labor laws.
Among their allegations were the non-payment of the minimum wage, 13th-month pay, statutory benefits, carabao share, and their three-percent share from the Sugar Amelioration Bonus.
They also claimed they were prohibited from organizing or forming a labor union.
The workers said that as a former Sugar Board representative and leader of a major sugar producers’ organization in Negros Occidental, Valderrama should have been among those ensuring that farm workers receive the wages and benefits provided under the law.
They expressed hope that DA and SRA would act on their appeal and help address their concerns./CCJ, WDJ