High court upholds freedom of speech and of expression 08/31/2010

High court upholds freedom of speech and of expression
08/31/2010
The Supreme Court (SC) has upheld the exercise of freedom of speech and of expression of the employees of the state pension fund agency Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) when, in 2005, they wore red shirts and appeared in a hearing against their union leader to manifest their support.

In a ruling of the SC en banc (full court), it dismissed the petition filed by former GSIS president and general manager Winston Garcia for his failure to prove that employees Dinnah Villaviz, Elizabeth Duque, Adronico Echavez, Rodel Rubio, Rowena Therese Gracia, Pilar Layco and Antonio Jose Legarda were guilty of grave misconduct and/or conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service pursuant to the rules of procedure of the GSIS.

Wearing red shirts, the said employees appeared before the GSIS Investigation Unit on May 27, 2005 to support Mario Molina and their union leader Albert Velasco, they defiantly raised clenched fist in airing their grievances against Garcia’s administration.

After a month, using as basis the report of the GSIS security, Garcia found the employees guilty and punished them with a one-year suspension with accessory penalties.... MORE

Source:  The Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/nation/20100831nat2.html