National democratic groups strongly condemned the US-Marcos regime and its cronies for killing the proposed ₱200 wage increase for workers.
Senator Chiz Escudero’s refused to discuss the bill using the excuse of having “no time” and “insufficient study.” He said that the Lower House took too long to submit its version. As a result, no bicameral conference with the Upper House took place where the wage proposal could have been discussed.
According to Kilusang Mayo Uno, Marcos is a shameless puppet of the local comprador bourgeoisie and foreign monopoly capitalists for opposing the wage bill. “His order, and the Senate’s deliberate delays, denied what could have been the Filipino workers’ first national wage increase in 36 years,” the group said.
“They are quick to pass self-serving programs and corruption-prone and bills, but for wage increases for ordinary Filipinos, Marcos Jr’s answer is: not good, impossible. Clearly, if they want something, there is a way. Otherwise, they have many excuses. This is the Marcos brand of leadership. Elitist. Insensitive. Selfish,” Kabataan Party-list stated.
Gabriela Women’s Party representative Arlene Brosas insisted that both chambers must act in the next Congress so that the hard-fought struggle of the people does not go to waste. “We cannot allow selfish politics to prevail instead of genuine justice and the welfare of the masses,” she said.
“We call on all Filipino workers: let us show our intense anger at this betrayal! The fight for a living wage does not end within the halls of Congress. Let us show our anger in the streets! Let us rely on the strength of our unity!” KMU called.
