Hairdresser claims he was fired by ex-boss Ricky Reyes for having HIV

By TUCP-Nagkaisa
June 30, 2015

QUEZON CITY – Forty-seven year old hairdresser and HIV positive Rene Nocos came out in public today after accusing former employer Ricky Reyes of alleged discrimination, unlawful termination and for non-payment of his social protection benefits Social Security System (SSS) and PhilHealth premiums.

“I have committed wrong choices in the past and suffered heavily for it. My entire family have disowned me. My friends have abandoned me. My co-workers have condemned me. Despite all these, I need my life back. But I can’t rebuild my life back because I was laid off from my job just because I have HIV. I want to put the pieces back together but my employer, Ricky Reyes, denied me of my social protection through SSS and in PhilHealth,” Nocos said.

Nocos said he had filed on March 3, 2014 multiple labor violations against respondent Reyes as owner of Ricky Superstyle Color Salon and Ms. Tonette Moreno, the vice president, as co-respondent before the National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC) after he was fired on February 28, 2014.

Reyes and Moreno were charged with illegal dismissal, underpayment of wages and mandatory 13th month pay, non-payment of holiday pay, non-payment of separation pay and discrimination. Nocos, also known as “Bambi”, also filed a complaint against his two former superior at the SSS and Philhealth non-payment of premiums since he was employed on July 16, 2003.

“We are appealing to the NLRC, SSS and Philhealth to render as quickly as possible their judgment on the case filed by Rene. The justice rendered by these institutions is very important factor in Rene’s struggle to move his life on. There is no closure and there is no new beginning for him if there is injustice. We ardently appeal to these agencies to expedite the cases Rene has filed and help him in moving away from discrimination and charting a new life,” said Gerard Seno, executive vice president of the Associated Labor Unions (ALU) during the press conference.

Nocos said he was fired by Reyes on February last year after confronting the latter for non-payment of Philhealth premium contributions.

“I tried to avail of free outpatient HIV/AIDS Treatment or OHAT package using Philhealth but I discovered only last year that my employer is not making any payment at all. So I confronted him (Reyes) why he is not paying my Philhealth. He (Reyes) then fired me after learning that I have HIV right there and then,” Nocos said.

On his part, ALU policy advocacy officer Alan Tanjusay said they will request the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz for the Labor Law Compliance Officers (LLCO) to conduct inspection and assessment of all salon outlets owned by Reyes and Moreno.