Cebu protesters lament different issues ahead of President Rodrigo Duterte’s second Sona. PHOTO FROM CEBU DAILY NEWS
CEBU CITY—More than 100 members of militant groups joined a protest action here on Monday hours before President Rodrigo Duterte was scheduled to deliver his State of the Nation Address (Sona).
The group marched from Cebu provincial capitol to Colon Street in downtown Cebu City, a distance of about 2.5 km, carrying placards that listed their demands to end contractualization, implementation of free education and housing for the poor, among others.
Nick Abasolo, president of Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) Cebu, gave President Duterte a rating of 5, with 10 as the highest, for his performance in his first year in office.
“We will continue to remind him of his promise to provide free land and water for the farmers,” said Abasolo.
But the militant drivers’ group Pagkakaisa ng Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Opereytor Nationwide-Cebu (Piston-Cebu), gave the President a grade of zero.
Greg Perez, coordinator of Piston-Cebu, said they were disappointed how the Duterte administration had been treating public utility drivers.
“The drivers are not included in their plans. Now, they want to remove the jobs of the drivers,” he said.
He was apparently referring to the impending implementation of the Bus Rapid Transit that replaces public utility jeepneys with buses in major thoroughfares.
Piston Cebu slammed the administration after Transport Secretary Transportation Secretary signed Department Order No. 2017-011 or the Omnibus Guidelines on the Planning and Identification of Public Road Transportation Services and Franchise Issuance on June 19, which barred PUJ units that were 15 years old and above.
Niño Olayvar, coordinator of Anakbayan Cebu, gave President Duterte a rating of five after the Chief Executive cancelled the peace talks with the communist rebels.
He pointed out that peace talks encouraged the discussion of genuine reforms.
Duterte cancelled the peace talk with the Communist Party of the Philippines-National Democratic Front following a series of attacks staged by its armed wing, the New People’s Army, on government troops.
The most recent was last Friday when NPA rebels killed six policemen and one civilian in two separate ambushes in Guihulgnan City, Negros Oriental.
Olayvar also slammed that government’s decision to extend martial law until the end of the year, saying this would only result in more abuses and human rights violation.
He added they were apprehensive that the attacks in Guihulgan may be used as basis to extend the coverage of martial law to the Visayas region.
Jaime Paglinawan, president of Bayan – Central Visayas, said the failure of President Duterte to fulfil his promise to end the contractualization earned him a grade of 5.
“We still struggle and continue to fight against contractualization and the (implementation of) national minimum wage),” he added./rga
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