ANGELES CITY – A labor group marked International Human Rights Day on Monday with a forecast for 2019: worse human rights violations.
Partido Lakas ng Masa (PLM) leader Leody De Guzman said in a recent statement that “besides the rampant and brazen intrusions against constitutionally protected rights under the Duterte administration’s ‘war on drugs’, the government has stepped up repressive measures to include perceived critics and legitimate dissenters in preparation for its shift towards the establishment of a federal form of government via constitutional assembly.”
He cited “the latest repressive measure as Memorandum Order 32 which the Office of the President issued three weeks ago. It purportedly aims to suppress and prevent lawless violence.
“The curtailment of political rights and civil liberties paves the way for the decentralized federal rule of political dynasties and warlords, the most reactionary section of the ruling class that Duterte represents. It also serves not just the ruling clique but the entire capitalist class who want workers to sacrifice their right to union and collective bargaining to the altar of profit,” he said.
De Guzman said “the Duterte administration is now inching itself towards the establishment of a superstructure meant to demolish the opposition, rampage over peoples’ rights in favor of pleasing foreign and local capitalists”.
He noted the “Duterte administration’s arsenal against critics range from openly disregarding laws, planting evidences, modifying anti-terrorism laws, spewing lies to discredit personalities and institutions.”
“Halfway into his term, the Duterte administration has reaped the collective ire of not only the workers who were promised the end of contractualization and regional wage boards but the broad toiling masses who catapulted him into power but are at the receiving end of his anti- poor tax reform package and debt-driven economic programs,” he said.
