Bayan Muna backs seaman suit

BAYAN MUNA has backed a lawsuit that seeks to void portions of the newly enacted Magna Carta for Seafarers at the Supreme Court.

“Bayan Muna, together with the seafarers, has been protesting against the unjust provisions of the Magna Carta for Filipino Seafarers since 2023, but our legislators have failed to heed the legitimate demands of the supposed beneficiaries of the Magna Carta law,” former Party-list Rep. Neri J. Colmenares, who lawyers for the seamen, said in a statement on Tuesday.

The lawsuit claims the law violates constitutional guarantees on equal protection of the law and legislative procedures.

The law requires a bond before a seaman can be awarded compensation, which the plaintiffs said puts undue burden that is not imposed on land-based workers.

“The seafarer has already won at the National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC); now they also need to pay to get the compensation they won,” Mr. Colmenares said.

“What kind of Magna Carta is this? How can seafarers feed their families and post a bond when they are unemployed due to injuries?” he asked. — Chloe Mari A. Hufana