Partido Lakas ng Masa senatorial hopefuls focus on labor rights, environment

MANILA—Partido Lakas ng Masa senatorial hopefuls on Saturday said they will be focusing on worker rights and environmental programs if they win in the 2022 elections.

In a Facebook Live conference, labor leader Atty. Luke Espiritu said their platforms were based on their daily lives and duties as activists.

[THREAD] Partido Lakas ng Masa senatorial hopefuls Luke Espiritu, Roy Cabonegro, David Delano D'Angelo are set to lay down their platforms and plans of action for the 2022 elections under the @LeodyManggagawa and @WaldenBello ticket. #Halalan2022 | @ABSCBNNews

— Josiah Antonio (@josiahvantonio) November 6, 2021

“Ang plataporma natin, buhay natin . . . Sa amin, buhay na namin ’yan and in fact, buhay namin iaalay na namin ’yan lalung-lalo na sa akin sa labor movement, frontline nandiyan ako,” Espiritu said.

(Our platform is our life. … For us, it is our life and in fact, we will dedicate our lives, especially to me in the labor movement, I am there on the frontline.)

Espiritu and fellow environmental activists David D’Angelo and Roy Cabonegro will be running under the ticket of Leody De Guzman and Walden Bello, presidential and vice-presidential aspirants, respectively.

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’TSEK’ platform for workers

Espiritu coined his platforms TSEK for trabaho (jobs), sahod (wages), ekonomiya (economy), and karapatan (rights).

As a labor leader, he vowed security of tenure for workers and end so-called contractualization.

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“Pagdating sa trabaho, kailangan regular na trabaho, tanggalin ang kontraktwalisasyon. ’Pag sinabi nating kontraktwalisasyon hindi lang ’to basta endo,” Espiritu said.

(When it comes to work, regular work is needed, remove contractualization. When we say contractualization, it is not just endo.)

“Kailangang alisin, buwagin ang manpower agency. Walang karapatan ’yang umiral dahil ’yan ay linta sa lipunan. Walang ibang ginagawa diyan kundi sumipsip ng yaman. Wala silang ambag sa produksyon,” he added.

(The manpower agency must be abolished. It has no right to exist because it is a leech. They have done nothing but suck wealth, they have no contribution to production.)

The labor leader is also pushing for a national minimum wage of P750.

“Kailangan buwagin na ’yang regional wage boards na ’yan dahil wala namang pagkakaiba ang presyo ng mga bilihin mula Luzon hanggang Mindanao . . . Siyempre hindi kakasya ang P750. Dapat dagdagan ’yan ng lahat ng polisiyang pang-ekonomiya upang mabawasan ang cost of living ng mga mangagawa.”

(Those regional wage boards must be abolished because there is no difference in the price of goods from Luzon to Mindanao . . . Of course, P750 is not enough. All economic policies must increase that to reduce the cost of living of workers.)

‘Ticking clock for the environment’

D’Angelo, meanwhile, said he would file a climate emergency bill.

“Kailangang itong (climate emergency) ideklara at kailangan magkaroon tayo ng nationwide assessment kasa barangay, sino ba ang tatamaan ng ating code red ng ating climate crisis,” D’Angelo said.

(This needs to be declared. We need to have a nationwide assessment with the barangays who will be hit by the code red of our climate crisis.)

“Para alam natin magkano ang budget kailangan natin, ano’ng pagbabago ang ating kailangang gawin, ano’ng infrastructure ang kailangang gawin. Hindi tayo pwedeng mangapa. Ang simula nu’n ay isang climate emergency bill,” he added.

(This is so we know how much budget we need, what changes we need to make, what infrastructure is needed. We cannot be in the dark. We must start with a climate emergency bill.)

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D'Angelo sought to repeal the Rice Tarrification Law and vowed to support farmers and fishermen in the country.

“Ang development ay hindi lamang malalaking building. Kailangang unahin natin ’yung pagkain ng taumbayan. OK lang na tayo ay wala masyadong pera basta busog ang Pilipino,” he said.

(Development is not just about constructing big buildings. Feeding the people is a priority. It's OK that we don't have much money, as long as the Filipinos’ appetite is full.)

He is also calling for the moratorium of mining activities in the Philippines and to criminalize violations against the environment.

“Kailangang i-criminalize ang mga paglabag sa kalikasan. ’Yung mga namamaril ng mga rangers kailangan i-criminalize ’yan. ’Yung sumisira sa ating ilog, sa ating dagat kailangan may criminal liability, kailangang mapanat, makulong dahil ang kalikasan po ay buhay ng lahat,” D’Angelo added.

(Violating nature must be a crime. Those who shoot the rangers must be a crime. Those who destroy our rivers, our seas must have criminal liability, must be restrained, imprisoned because nature is the life of everyone.)

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Activist Roy Cabonegro said environmentalists such as he and D’Angelo should join government to enact programs that would save the environment.

“Kailangan pong pasukin ang gobyerno ng makakalikasang programa at polisiya dahil lahat po tayo ay tatamaan nito,” Cabongero said.

(Pro-environment programs and policies must make its way through government, because such affects us all.)

“Malaki po ang problema natin kaya po kailangan pong kunin ang estado ng mga makakalikasan.”

(Our problem is big so environmentalists must take to the state.)