MANILA, Philippines – The Aksyon Health Workers party-list on Friday asked the Supreme Court (SC) to reverse a Commission on Elections (Comelec) decision disqualifying the healthcare workers’ group from the May 2019 elections.
The Comelec, on Nov. 9, 2018 denied the group’s petition to be registered as a party-list group and participate in the upcoming elections.
A motion for reconsideration was filed for its reversal but was also denied in a ruling issued on Jan. 17, 2019.
“Aksyon Health Workers Party-List asserts that it genuinely represents the people belonging to the marginalized sectors of health workers and health professionals whose salaries fall way below the living wage and whose benefits and welfare are neglected or denied. These health personnel work beyond paid hours and sacrifice personal time but are not recognized as pillars of our country. Low wages, job insecurity, absence or lack of professional development, and precarious work conditions to name a few dehumanize our pillars of the health system,” Dr. Joseph M. Carabeo, 1st nominee of Aksyon Health Workers party-list said.
Although Aksyon Health Workers party-list registered as a regional party-list in the NCR, it has thousands of members nationwide.
“Because the people’s right to health and the health workers’ right to regular jobs and decent wages is a clamor across the nation, we have growing chapters in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.”
The group insisted that it should be allowed to take part in the upcoming May elections to be able to pursue the campaign for free and available health services, removal of VAT in all medicines, substantial increase of salaries and benefits for both private and public health workers, regular jobs, and the passage of a Magna Carta of Private Health Workers in Congress. /gsg