This is the statement of labor group Defend Job Philippines today as they bring issues of rising costs of oil and prices of basic commodities and services to their daily voters’ education caravan and series of town hall meetings with workers and labor unions for their ongoing #LaborVote2019 campaign.
The group and its electoral campaign identified high prices as one of the 10 key labor issues that need to be addressed by politicians running in various posts this coming May 2019 midterm polls.
The statement is made in time for the second straight week of oil price hikes today, making gasoline and diesel prices rise up to P0.70 per liter. Defend Job Philippines cited that just this year, oil prices jumped six times and roll backed just once during the first week of February, making common prices of gasoline in Metro Manila between P48 to P52 per liter, P41 to 43 per liter of diesel and P47 for kerosene.
Defend Job Philippines spokesperson Christian Lloyd Magsoy said, “Senatoriables and other candidates in various national and local posts should bare their platforms and concrete measures how are they going to end the series of oil price hikes and increases of costs of basic commodities and services.”
Magsoy urged that is what candidates should do, instead of engaging in mudslinging and spending too much on political ads.
“Filipino workers and voters were sick and tired of hearing political attacks against politicians and plain political promotions during election campaign periods. What we want to hear now were concrete steps and plans of actions on real and pressing issues being faced and shouldered by our working people for the longest time,” said Magsoy.
Defend Job Philippines said that their #LaborVote2019 campaign is looking for pro-labor candidates who have genuine intention to address and resolve various issues concerning the Philippine labor force here and abroad.
The campaign is set to come up with a list of pro-labor candidates on April 30, on the eve of the International Labor Day, to serve as guide for workers to know who among the candidates have clear platforms on key labor issues.
