Pablo Java, Cebu port leader
Pablo Java, a respected man from the San Nicolas District, Cebu City was the legendary leader of the piers of Cebu City. His voice instilled discipline among the workers of the ports. Pablo Java fought many battles to uphold the rights of the stevedores of Cebu one of which was before our courts of law.
On October 11, 1950, Pablo Java and the Katubusan sa Mamumuo, a labor organization, filed with the then Court of Industrial Relations (what we have now are the Department of Labor and Employment and it's National Labor Relations Commission) a joint petition against the Southern Lines, Inc. and the Olizen Shipping in which, among other things, the former prayed that a writ of preliminary injunction be issued restraining the latter from wresting from them the right to load and unload the cargo on the boat named Governor Smith and such other boats of the Southern Lines, Inc. that may dock at the Port of Cebu City.
On November 18, 1950, the Court of Industrial Relations issued the writ prayed by Java and the labor organization. However on September 3, 1951, the President of the Katubusan sa Mamumuo by the name of Jose Muana, withdrew the petition leaving Pablo Java alone in the legal battle.
Pablo Java, unafraid continued with the fight, sent a telegram on November 22, 1951 to the Court of Industrial Relations to issue an order directing the Visayan Transportation Co. Inc and its agent, the Aboitiz and Co. Inc. to respect and comply with the court's order.
The Southern Lines Inc. on November 9, 1951 without informing the court sold the boat, Governor Smith to the Philippine Steam Navigation Co. Inc. and on December 28, 1951, the latter in turn sold the boat to the Visayan Transportation Co. Inc.
Pablo Java informed the court of what happened, because the new owner attempted to wrest from Pablo Java the work of loading and unloading the cargo on the boat through its own group of laborers. The Court of Industrial Relations on January 14, 1952 issued an order enjoining Visayan Transportation Co. Inc. and its agent, the Aboitiz and Co. Inc. from molesting Pablo Java and his men in loading and unloading the cargoes. This was a victory for Pablo Java.
Visayan Transportation Co. Inc. then went to the Supreme Court and questioned the order of the Court of Industrial Relations favoring Pablo Java the right to load and unload of their boats named Governor Smith, Governor Wright and Governor Gilbert (the names of the boats were named after the Governor General of the Philippines, who acted as the Chief Executive of the Philippines, at the time when we still do not have a President).
The Supreme Court on October 22, 1952 decided that Pablo Java has no right of action against the new owner of the boats as his only remedy is to go after the original owner with which he has stevedoring contract, the Southern Lines Inc.
Pablo Java was represented by the great lawyers of Cebu at that time like Francisco Remotigue, Nacua, Adelino Veloso of Sogod Leyte, who became a lawyer on January 25, 1952 and Carolina Rubia while Visayan Transportation Co., Inc, was represented by the famous lawyer from Samboan, Cebu by the name of Pedro B. Uy Calderon.
A daughter of Pablo Java by the name of Angeles (a leader of the Remedios Parish Church, Calamba, Cebu City) married Ernesto A. Elizondo, now the chairman and president of the Cebu Integrated Arrastre. Ernesto nicknamed Erny was elected councilor of Cebu City in 1998. Elizondo considered a man for all seasons was the defender of the Colegio de San Jose Recoletos now the University of San Jose Recoletos. Councilor Elizondo was a well known debater, basketball player and boxer in his youth. He is a pride of San Jose, a high school and college alumni. One of the very Josenians elected as Cebu City Councilor.
The colleagues of Councilor Ernesto A. Elizondo in the Cebu City Council were Atty. Michael L. Rama, now Mayor of Cebu City, Atty. Edgardo C. Labella, now Vice Mayor, Jose F. Navarro, now Barangay Captain of Punta Princesa, Atty. Jocelyn G. Pesquera, and Atty. Procopio Fernandez. The mayor at that time was Atty. Alvin B. Garcia.
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