28,000 expected to join Labor Day protests in Bicol

At least 28,000 members are expected to join Labor Day protests all over Bicol, a militant group said Monday.

Vince Casilihan, spokesperson of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) in Bicol, said 10,000 protesters are expected to go out in Masbate province, 5,000 in Camarins Sur, 1,000 in Camarines Norte, 5,000 in Albay, 5,000 in Sorsogon and 800 in Catanduanes.

Casilihan said a simultaneous protest march will start between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. and programs are expected to start at 10:30 a.m. until 3 p.m.

He said the protesters will include members of farmers groups, students, out of school youth, public transport drivers and operators, teachers, members of Kalipunan ng Damayang Mahihirap, lawyers and women's groups.

During the protest actions, groups will call for an increase in salaries and the real end of contratualization.

"Bago pa man maluklok sa poder (si Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte) malakas na ang panawagan ng mga manggagawa at mamamayan na tuluyang wakasan ang kontraktwalisasyon sa bansa. Bigo siyang tuparin ito dahil hanggang ngayon 63% o 24.4 milyon ng kabuuang lakas paggawa ay iniempleyo sa iba't-ibang iskema ng kontraktwalisasyon at sa loob ng isang taon ng kanyang panunungkulan ay aabot pa rin ng 11.2 milyong Pilipino ang walang trabaho," Bayan-Bicol said in a statement.

Casilihan, meanwhile, said that Police Officer 1 Vincent Tacorda, who recently retired after being allegedly ordered to commit extrajudicial killings, will speak before protesters in Catanduanes.

Tacorda accused Catanduans police chief Jesus Martinez of ordering them not to declare the amount and worth of illegal drugs seized during operations it it is too huge.

Casilihan said that aside from labor issues, protesters will also call for an end to drug-related killings in the country. —report from Jinky Lou Tabor/ALG, GMA News