Opposition bets get the support of security guards
MANILA, Philippines — As Vice President Leni Robredo sought to broaden her voter base, she appealed to the country’s security guards for support — who, in turn, urged her to ensure labor reforms and policies that would protect one of the most vulnerable workers in the country.
In their town hall meeting with Robredo, her running mate Sen. Francis Pangilinan and Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV, representatives of security guard groups across the country asked the opposition slate to ensure livable wages for them and to protect them from exploitative practices as well.
Before she became a public official, Robredo was a labor lawyer and served as legal counsel for blue-collar workers like security guards. In most cases she handled, guards had complained of being removed from work if they demanded more benefits.
“We realized a lot of things from that time and first and foremost of that was that security guards are paid a pittance for their work,” Robredo said. “We need to upgrade standards of compensation for guards and provide them benefits and security of tenure.”
