The Alliance of Labor Leaders for Leni (ALL 4 Leni) on Tuesday called for the inclusion of labor leader Sonny Matula in Vice President Leni Robredo’s Senate slate for her Eleksyon 2022 presidential bid but maintained that it will support her decision whatever it will be.
The group, which supports Robredo’s 2022 presidential bid, said the vice president has been receptive to the five-point labor agenda the group is pushing. The agenda includes ending contractualization, national minimum wage, freedom of association/stopping of union busting, strengthening public health system and employment guarantees for displaced workers, among others.
“We believe that her chances of winning will be higher if her slate will have inclusive representation. Because of this goal, we are calling on her to include Sonny Matula to represent the workers in her Senate slate,” the group said.
“Ka Sonny has a long record of standing up for workers’ rights and a strong conviction against dictatorship and authoritarianism,” it added.
Matula, however, clarified that ALL 4 Leni’s support for Robredo is not contingent on his inclusion in the Senate slate.
“We are asking for representation from the labor groups’ ranks. We will be dismayed [if I won’t be included], pero hindi ito sagabal para ituloy ang laban sa pagka-Presidente ni Leni Robredo (this non-inclusion will not get in the way of our support for Vice President Leni for the presidential race),” Matula told reporters.
“Di kami aatras dahil lang diyan. Tuloy ang laban para manalo si Leni Robredo (We won’t back out because of that. The fight goes on for Leni Robredo to win),” he added.
Matula, however, said that having him on board Robredo’s Senate slate will be for the better for her campaign and the workers.
“Kung mapili tayo, mas [magiging] malakas ang laban na maipasok natin at matagumpay na maidala ang agenda ng mga manggagawa (If we make the list, we will strengthen our fight and chances to win measures for labor rights),” Matula pointed out.
The ALL 4 Leni group boasts of 350,000 members nationwide and aims to deliver around two million votes for Robredo in Eleksyon 2022.
Last Friday, Robredo bared the names of 11 Senate aspirants included in her slate.
Her camp on Sunday asked supporters to be patient as they are making necessary processes to choose the aspirant who will fill the 12th spot of the vice president’s senatorial slate.
Robredo earlier said that discussions on the possible inclusion of Bayan Muna chairperson Neri Colmenares and Matula to fill the last slot for her ticket’s 12-strong Senate slate are still ongoing and would take a little while.
Colmenares on Friday however expressed belief that his non-inclusion in Robredo’s senatorial slate is based on what the vice president thinks is best for her presidential candidacy. —KG, GMA News
Labor leaders push for Matula to be included in Robredo’s Senate slate
Source: Pinoy Hub News
0 Comments