Groups hit government failure to solve issues of masses

CEBU, Philippines — Several groups hit the streets in downtown Cebu City yesterday in time for the State of the Nation Address of President Rodrigo Duterte.

They burned an effigy of the President as they called on government to end ENDO, raise the daily wage, and stop the killings related to the war on drugs.

John Ruiz, coordinator of Bayan Muna in Central Visayas, said Duterte also needs to stay true to his word that he will protect the country’s sovereignty.

"Dakong paningnulon sa administrasyong Duterte ang iyang saad nga iyang i-ugsok ang bandila sa Pilipinas didto sa West Philippine Sea aron protektahan ang atong soberanya ug patrimonya sa nasud (The government is yet to fulfill Duterte’s promise that he will plant the Philippine flag at the West Philippine Sea to protect our sovereignty)," he said.

He also said Duterte has neglected to improve the justice system and uphold human rights.

Meanwhile, workers group Partido Mangagawa - Cebu continues to oppose Charter Change or ChaCha during their rally.

"The government must attend to the problem of hunger and poverty instead of term extension and foreign ownership, which are the agenda of charter change,” said PM Cebu Chairperson Myra Opada.

PM is participating in a coalition called United Workers SONA coalition, which is part of a broader network called United People’s SONA.

Opada said that until now, Duterte has not signed the Security of Tenure bill due to the powerful lobby of employers for a veto.

She said that if Duterte surrenders to the demand to veto the bill, he will show where he stands on the “class war” between workers and capitalists on the issue of contractualization.

"A presidential veto will just be another betrayal of his promise to workers. But even if the Security of Tenure bill is signed or lapses into law, ENDO will persist since the legislation is a watered down version," Opada said.

PM is also calling for reforms in the wage setting mechanism.

“We welcome the announcement by the Department of Labor and Employment that it will undertake a study on the current wage system in response to the calls to abolish the regional wage boards. Although we fear that powerful lobby by employers will once more scuttle any real reform,” Opada added.

PM is batting for the abolition of the regional wage boards and its replacement by a National Wage Commission, which will fix a national minimum wage based on the cost of living.

The group is also calling for the provision of a minimum basic income for workers in the SME sector, which is unregulated and exempted from the minimum wage setting.

The other groups that went to the streets yesterday included the Kilusang Magbubukid sa Pilipinas, Anak-Pawis Partylist, Anakbayan, Piston-Cebu, AMA SUGBO-KMU, LSA Kontraktwal, and Gabriela. — Noreen Rose C. Vilchez (FREEMAN)