VP Leni signs covenant with workers’ groups ahead of Bonifacio Day

Vice President Leni Robredo, and the labor groups backing her presidential bid on Monday, November 29, signed a joint commitment to pursue an agreed labor agenda under a Robredo Presidency.

The signing took place at the “Laban ng Manggagawa, Laban ni Leni” Workers General Assembly and was witnessed online by hundreds of Alliance of Labor Leaders for Leni Robredo (ALL4Leni) members around the world.

Senatorial candidate Sonny Matula, who is part of the ticket of Robredo and her running-mate, Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan, said that Robredo’s track record will show how long she has been working with and fighting for the rights of the basic sector.

“Mahaba-haba ang ating paghahanda pero alam naman natin na hindi bago kay Vice President Leni Robredo ang pipirmahan natin sa umagang ito. Alam naman ninyo na kasama natin si Vice President Leni noon pa man, at nakita natin ang track record ng ating Bise Presidente kung ating titignan ang kanyang mga ginagawa para sa mga manggagawa, para sa mga magsasaka, para sa mga kababaihan, para sa maralitang taga-lungsod, at iba pang mga sektor na nasa layalayan ng ating [lipunan],” said Matula, who is also the national president of the Federation of Free Workers (FFW).

Matula said the five point-agenda of the “Covenant Vision of a True Robredo Presidency” includes the issues and advocacies of the basic sector.

These are: the promotion of secure and quality jobs as well as green and climate jobs; achieving a “living wage” incomes for the working people; providing social protection through public services; improving trade union and political rights; and having consultations on a regular basis to discuss labor and social advocacies and measures to be taken should problems in the implementation arise.

In response, Robredo said she would commit to empowering and enabling the people to participate in governance, rectify laws that contribute to inequality, and clean up government to earn the people’s trust.

“Ang aking mako-commit ngayon, mabibigyan kayo ng marami, maraming puwang para mag-participate kayo sa governance. Kasi wala naman sa ‘kin yung sagot. Ang sagot, nasa inyo. Ang masasagot ko lang sa inyo na sisiguraduhin ko na, na yun number one, na may puwang. Number two, aayusin ko, lilinisin ko yung pamahalaan para maraming magtiwala sa kin,” Robredo said.

Judy Ann Miranda of Nagkaisa! Women’s Committee said the covenant signing was significant in as much as it took place on the eve of Bonifacio Day, which commemorates the birth of Andres Bonifacio, the revolutionary hero who represented the working class.

Aside from Robredo and Matula, those who signed the covenant on behalf of their organizations were Miranda and Joanna Bernice Coronacion of Nagkaisa! Women’s Committee; Renato Magtubo, chairperson of the Partido Manggagawa (PM); Daniel Edralin, president of the Sentro ng mga Nagkakaisa at Progresibong Manggagawa (SENTRO); Antolin Pangan, Jr., secretary general, Kapatiran sa Dalawang Gulong (KAGULONG); Jesus Exequiel Nidea, president of the National Union of Bank Employees (NUBE); and Ramon Ojeda, vice president for Luzon of the National Congress of Unions in the Sugar Industry in the Philippines (NACUSIP).