Groups express disappointment local protests to greet SONA

CEBU, Philippines -  As President Benigno Aquino III delivers his fifth State of the Nation Address today, over a thousand members of various labor groups in Cebu will hold an anti-SONA rally expressing dismay over his administration.

“Daghan siya og gisa-ad sa mga workers matag SONA niya pero wa gyud natuman (He made many promises to workers in every SONA but not one were fulfilled),” said Jose Tomongha, Alliance of Progressive Labor chairman.

Tomongha, who is also the Sentro  ng mga Nagkakaisa at Progresibong Manggagawa spokesperson, said Aquino promised a creation of a “million jobs per year,” but this was never realized.

“Og naka-create man gani og trabaho ang Aquino administration, mga contractuals ra kini (If jobs were created, they were contractual) and there is no security of tenure,” said Tomongha.

He said they are also calling for the resignation of Budget Secretary Butch Abad and for the Aquino administration to have a proper accounting by subjecting to a citizen’s audit the Disbursement Acceleration Program.

“Sa ikalimang SONA, busabos pa rin ang mga boss (It is now his fifth SONA, but his ‘boss” are still slaves),” said Dennis Derige, Partido ng Manggagawa-Cebu spokesperson.

Aquino used to refer to the Filipino people in his speeches as his “boss.”

Derige described Aquino’s fifth SONA as “walang naituwid, walang naitawid,” which is short for “walang naituwid sa patakaran lalo na sa mga manggagawa, walang naitawid sa kahirapan” (Has not straightened out laws especially for workers, has not lifted a Filipino out of poverty).

Progressive youth organization Anakbayan also condemned the Aquino administration’s plan to stop “SONA ng BAYAN” protests and assailed the deployment of more than 10,000 policemen and 400 soldiers at the SONA venue.

“The deployment of 10,400 anti-rally personnel to stop the people’s protest exposes Aquino’s paranoia and desperation. He is scared of the people’s protest against his ‘holDAP’,” said Vencer Crisostomo, Anakbayan national chairperson, in a statement sent to The FREEMAN.

Crisostomo said there are reports that in preparation for SONA, concrete barriers and concertina wires were deployed all over Commonwealth Avenue. — /RHM   (FREEMAN)