Arroyo backtracks to her true anti-worker self--CPP

November 8, 2005

The Communist Party of the Philippines said today that it was not at all surprising that Gloria Arroyo backtracked yesterday on her statement made just a few days ago that wage hikes should be legislated to a reasonable level.

CPP spokesperson Gregorio "Ka Roger" Rosal said in a statement that, "True to Arroyo's consistent history of lies, deception and anti-worker policies, her backtracking on her call to Congress to legislate a reasonable wage hike was not expected to really last for long. But," he added "the fact that this time her lie lasted only two days is one for the record."

Rosal said that the demand of the labor sector and the approved congress labor committee proposal for a P125 across-the-board nationwide wage hike is reasonable enough for a very late start.

He said that "Even then, P125 not really enough, considering that the minimum daily wage rate of P275 legislated way back in 1989, plus the addition last May of a mere P50 cost of living allowance, has already fallen far, far below that the P700 currently required for the minimum decent living of a Metro Manila family of six."

Rosal said that no further proof is necessary to say with authority that Gloria Arroyo has no heart at all for the workers. "She has an absolute zero regard for the welfare and concern of the workers and will always place them at the sacrificial table for the imperialist and comprador capitalist vultures to feast on."

"She is supersensitive to the complaints of big business about their fear of any reduction in their superprofits, but is totally aloof to the plight of the masses who have been suffering the worst since she took over," said Rosal.

The CPP spokesperson said further that "Arroyo issued the pretentious call for an increase in the legislated wage hike only because she fears a backlash of anger from the masses reeling from the onslaught of Gloria's e-VAT. But more paramount is her fear of rejection by the imperialist and comprador capitalist classes to whom she is fully subservient."

"For all its anti-worker and anti-masses policies and acts, Malacanang will just have to face the Filipino people's reprise of the storming of the Bastille," added Rosal.

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