Militant Groups Celebrate Labor Day: Several rallies in Cebu today

Militant groups are expected to take to the streets, by tradition, today as the country celebrates the 103rd Labor Day.

It will however be a show of force between the militant groups and the police, who have also been put on red alert effective last midnight to ensure peace and order and in preparation for any untoward incident that might take place.

Issues that the militants are planning to raise in today's rally in Cebu will be the ouster of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, a stop to oil price hikes, and wage increases.

Jaime Paglinawan, provincial chairman of Bayan Muna said that they are expecting at least 2,500 protesters on the streets today.

Paglinawan said that groups like Kilusang Mayo Uno, Gabriela, Kilusang magbubukid ng Pilipinas, Urban Poor, League of Filipino Students, Anakbayan, Bayan Muna, Anakpawis and the Nagkahiusang Drayber sa Sugbo have committed to take part in the street protests.

The call for a P125 across the board legislated wage increase will also be renewed today as protestors plan to sign a petition that they will be sending to the House of Representatives.

Another activity slated today will be a signature campaign against the plans to change the Constitution dubbed as "bawi-pirma" on the peoples' initiative.

Paglinawan added that the Anti-terrorism Bill, the immediate release of Anakpawis congressman Crispin Beltran, and the continued increase of oil prices would be among the issues that they would tackle today.

The rally will start at around 9:30 am at the Fuente Osmeña and is expected to proceed to the area in front of Metro Gaisano Colon where they will hold a short program.

On the other hand, some 700 members of the Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino and Partido ng Manggagawa are also expected to converge in front of Metro Gaisano Colon where they will hold a protest rally.

Dennis Derige, PM provincial chairman said that it would be fine with them if his group and other groups would meet and hold rallies together in Colon as they have the same issues.

At 2 p.m., he added that they would be joining a bigger protest action that would be carried out by Laban ng Masa, a coalition of anti-Arroyo groups to demand for the ouster of the president.

Derige said that their protest will be a reminder that the fight of workers for protection of their rights and proper wages and benefits due them continues.

"The gains and benefits that workers earned through years of struggle are slowly being taken away, and that should what we will be fighting for," he stressed.

Alliance of Progressive Labor also expects more than a thousand of its members and allied groups to gather for a day of protest.

Joshua Mata, APL national secretary general earlier said that even if President Arroyo will declare a state of national emergency, they will go on with their protest activities to demand for work for the jobless, proper wages, food, housing, and respect for their rights.

He said that their protest action today is also their biggest mobilization against the proposal to change the country's Constitution, which he describes as "another threat to job creation and rights of workers."

Leaders of these groups also vowed to hold peaceful protests, claiming that they will only be demanding for what is due them and air their grievances against the government. - with Jasmin R. Uy