Kilusang Mayo Uno backs Leni-Kiko tandem

Workers’ group Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) formally endorsed the Eleksyon 2022 presidential and vice-presidential candidacies of Vice President Leni Robredo and Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan.

“Ngayong araw, inihahayag natin sa buong bansa [at] mga manggagawa -- organisado man o hindi organisado-- malakas po nating suportahan ang kandidatura nina Vice President Leni Robredo at Senator Kiko Pangilinan… sila po ang tanging opposition na sumasalubon sa kahilingan ng mangagawa at interes ng mamamayang Pilipino,” KMU secretary-general Jerome Adonis said Friday.

(Today, we’re formally urging all workers — organized or not — to strongly support the candidacies of Vice President Leni Robredo and Senator Kiko Pangilinan… they are the only oppositionists who welcome the needs and interests of our fellow Filipinos.)

It is the first time the progressive group endorsed a presidential tandem, he added.

According to Adonis, KMU members and leadership decided that the Leni-Kiko tandem met their “criteria” for improving workers’ conditions with their positions in reviewing the daily minimum wage and ending contractualization.

The labor organization also lauded their clear stance on issues of the transport sector which includes the modernization of traditional jeepneys, and the suspension of excise taxes on fuel products.

In pushing for their candidacies, the KMU vowed to bolster the ongoing house-to-house campaign of “Kakampinks” by also tapping workers from factories and communities.

“Patutunayan natin na hindi totoo ang lumalabas sa surveys na mahina ang tambalang Leni-Kiko sa mga nasa laylayan,” said Lana Linaban, KMU Secretary for political and external affairs and national vice-president of Anakpawis party-list.

(We will prove that the survey results saying the campaign of the Leni-Kiko tandem is not reaching the poor Filipino.)

“Pangungunahan ng mga manggagawa ang kampanya sa sinasabing class D at E.. nangangampanya po ang mga manggagawa sa factories at komunidad upang palakasin ang kampanya nina Leni at Kino at ng mga senador sa ilalim ng kanilang slate,” she said. — DVM, GMA News