By ALDWIN QUITASOL
www.nordis.net

BAGUIO CITY — The labor group Kilusang Mayo Uno (May First Movement or KMU) warned presidential race victor Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III against putting known anti-people government officials from the administration of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo into his Cabinet.

Posted in its website, KMU said “Wag itong walo (not the 8): Keep off the worst Arroyo bureaucrats from cabinet.” KMU said this is a challenge to Aquino’s promise of leading the nation to his so-called “Daang Matuwid”. The labor group said that Aquino’s promise will be just another election hoolabaloo if he will assign the said Arroyo bureaucrats to key government seats.

KMU enumerated those who should be blacklisted from Aquino’s government posts. They cited Former Defense chief Gilbert “Gibo” Tedoro, who actively implemented the Arroyo regime’s bloody campaign against workers and activists; Former Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, who played a key role in the political killing of workers and activists and defended the Arroyo regime’s gross human rights violations; Labor department secretary Marianito Roque, who facilitated massive layoffs and issued numerous Assumption of Jurisdiction (AJ) orders which spelled violence in work places across the country; Former labor secretary Patricia Sto. Tomas, who issued the AJ order for the strikes in Hacienda Luisita and Nestle Cabuyao – both of which were marred by police and military brutality; Gabriel Claudio – Arroyo’s adviser for political affairs, who engineered Arroyo’s various maneuvers to remain in power despite massive protests from the people; Norberto Gonzales – one of the brains and chief implementors of human rights violations committed under the Arroyo regime; DILG Sec. Ronaldo Puno – alleged by many to be Gloria’s dirty tricks department head, also responsible for various human rights violations in the country; Former Energy secretary Angelo Reyes, who actively defended the overpricing scheme of the Big Three oil companies.

KMU national chairperson Elmer Labog said they urge Aquino to remove anti-worker and anti-people Arroyo officials from his list of prospective Cabinet members. He said that once he will assign these people, the Filipinos for sure will continue to suffer from the same anti-people policies which Arroyo implemented through these men and women.

“What Sen. Aquino should do is blacklist these architects of poverty and political repression,” Labog added. The labor group also urged Aquino to push through with the legislated P125 wage hike which the workers have been longing. This they said is a step in removing the destructive policies of Arroyo.

Labog said that the workers had no significant wage increase for more than nine years. “Arroyo implemented the wage freeze policy that ensured that the workers will only receive crumbs while the foreigners gain millions to billions.”

The labor leader said that Noynoy should not only go after Arroyo because of her crimes but should quash also the anti-worker and anti-people economic policies of Arroyo. “Hindi lang pinayaman ni Gloria ang sarili niya, pinaghirap din niya ang malawak na mayorya ng mga mamamayan. Dapat baguhin ito ni Noynoy (Gloria not only enriched herself but impoverished the majority of the people. Noynoy should change this),” ended Labog. #nordis.net