Police gear up for Labor Day rallies

CEBU, Philippines - Police personnel will be deployed in key areas in the city where labor groups are expected to gather tomorrow in line with the observance of Labor Day.

Cebu City Police Director Patrocinio Comendador said policemen will be deployed in the vicinity of the Malacañang sa Sugbo at the Plaza Independencia, as well as in front of Metro Gaisano in Colon where two militant groups will hold protest actions.

Comendador said two teams will be deployed for crowd control in case trouble would ensue just like last year’s Labor Day observance when two militant groups were competing for space in front of Metro Gaisano downtown.

Beat patrols would also be roving in strategic areas, Comendador said.

Meanwhile, Cebu Provincial Police Office Officer-in-Charge Erson Digal said two platoons from the provincial police would be ready for deployment should the city police need augmentation forces.

Sr. Supt. Melvin Buenafe, chief of the Regional Intelligence Division of the Police Regional Office-7, said maximum tolerance on rallying groups would be implemented.

Jessie Tabanao, spokesperson of Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-7, also said PDEA is willing to lend its bomb-sniffing dogs to the police.

Yesterday, labor groups in Cebu gathered in a press conference to lay down the issues they would rally for tomorrow.

Jaime Paglinawan of Bayan Central Visayas said they will rally for a P125 across-the-board wage increase; P3,000 salary increase for public workers; and P9,000 salary increase for public school teachers.

The Nagkahiusang Drayber sa Sugbu will rally to protest further termination of workers, saying drivers would subsequently lose passengers if more workers lose their jobs.

Greg Perez of NADSU said they would also rally against Republic Act 4136, which raises penalty for traffic violations.

Alyansa alang sa Nagkahiusang Drivers Alang sa Reforma will also gather 5,000 signatures to support the campaign against the high penalties and fines.

At least 5,000 employed and unemployed workers and 40 other independent unions and federations will participate in tomorrow’s rallies, which will be centered on the theme, “Justice is for sale and not anymore for all.”

Jose Tomongha, chairperson Alliance of Progressive Labor said they will rally hard for job security of their members, considering that unlike Bayan, APL will not file for wage increase owing to the global economic crisis.

Residents of the northern towns of Sibonga and Argao will also rally to oppose the ongoing oil explorations in their respective localities. — Niña G. Sumacot and AJ A. de la Torre with Ana Coritha Desamparado and Mark Gantuangco (THE FREEMAN)