Women workers demand: Abrogate the VFA—Stop US-Israel war, defend Filipino lives

 

Photo from Blasting News

Iran’s retaliation shows what could happen if the Philippines hosts US war games and military hubs for foreign wars of aggression

 

Women of Partido Manggagawa (PM) strongly condemn the ongoing joint US-Israel assault on Iran, which has triggered retaliatory strikes on US facilities in Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and other Gulf states. This dangerous escalation has already disrupted global travel and trade, and killed civilians, and it threatens to spiral into wider regional war.

 

“We reject imperialist wars that cost countless civilian lives. History shows that when the US wages war, women and children suffer the most—displaced, impoverished, denied healthcare and education, and exposed to violence and long-term trauma,” said PM Secretary-General Judy Ann Miranda.

 

She added that the conflict also puts at least 2 million Filipino migrant workers in the Middle East at serious risk— many of them women working as domestic workers, nurses, caregivers, and service workers. They left home because of poverty and lack of decent jobs. Now they face the risk of bombings, displacement, job loss, unpaid wages, and sudden evacuation. When war erupts, migrant workers are often the most vulnerable—trapped by restrictive contracts, limited mobility, and lack of protection. Tragically, a Filipina caregiver was killed in an airstrike in Israel during retaliatory attacks, underscoring the mortal danger confronting Filipino workers in the region.

 

PM warned that the Philippines faces real danger under the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA). By allowing US troops access to local bases, ports, and facilities for war games and military operations, our country risks becoming a strategic launch point—and a potential target—in expanding US wars against Iran or China.

 

Miranda explained that military basing does not guarantee security but exposes Filipino communities to retaliation. War and militarization would worsen gendered violence, economic insecurity, and the deprivation of basic services for women and families here at home.

 

Women workers demand:

 

Abrogate the VFA and all foreign military arrangements.

Stop the US-Israel genocide on Palestine and war on Iran.

Push for an immediate ceasefire.

Ensure the protection, safety and evacuation readiness for all Overseas Filipino Workers in conflict zones.

Redirect military spending to social services—healthcare, education, decent work, childcare, housing, and protection against gender violence.

 

“Women workers refuse to let Philippine soil be used for wars that are not ours. We stand for peace, sovereignty, and social justice—not foreign military domination,” she ended. 

Press Release

March 3, 2026

Partido Manggagawa

Nuke deal, permanent basing could be part of chacha’s hidden agenda – Partido Manggagawa

Photo from Hindustan Times

Instead of staying neutral in the heightening tension between military superpowers and calling for demilitarization of the West Philippine Sea and the whole of the Indo-Pacific region, the Philippines, under the leadership of Marcos, Jr., is arming itself with the purchase of nuclear-capable hypersonic missiles from India, the labor group Partido Manggagawa (PM) said in a statement to media Monday.

 

PM demands that the plan be aborted, or if it’s too late to undo, prevent its commissioning, or better swapped with other goods that will directly benefit our services-deprived people.

 

The Philippine Constitution, particularly Section 8 of Article II, bans nuclear weapons in the country, though it is hardly imposed against the presence of US soldiers and arms in the country.

 

“We tend to believe, therefore, that proponents of charter change will also amend this article in favor of the P21-B nuke deal with India as well as the re-establishment of permanent US military bases in the country,” warned Magtubo.

 

The group was reacting to local news that Brahmos, an Indian-made nuclear-capable cruise missile, is arriving in the country in a few days, with the missile batteries to follow in March.

 

Said reports confirm what the Hindustan Times carried in its January 25 report that the ground systems will reach the Philippines in the next 10 days followed by the missiles that will be delivered by March. It was made possible, it said, two years after the two countries signed a deal worth almost $375 million to equip the Philippine Marines with three batteries of the missiles.

 

PM Chair Renato Magtubo, said the country’s desperation against the Chinese position in the West Philippine Sea, “doesn’t warrant a decision to engage in arms race the way imperialist powers spend their people’s money for senseless wars amidst the intensifying cost-of-living and climate crises.”

 

Furthermore, Magtubo questioned the strategic rationale behind the procurement, noting that a handful of supersonic nuclear-capable missiles won’t match China's vast arsenal of advanced missile systems.

 

The labor leader said acquiring a P21-B missile system, the first in the country, “is a very expensive experiment, adding that the money could have acquired 21,000 tractors for our farmers or thousands modern jeepneys for our drivers displaced by the PUV modernization.”

 

“But the biggest question to ask why BBM shopped for Brahmos is whether the country is already preparing for war with China, in concert with the plans by Western powers, particularly the US, UK, and France,” said Magtubo.

 

If that is the case, he said, then the Marcos government is removing all pretensions for international diplomacy and lays bare its hidden agenda in the ongoing drive for charter change.

 

In conclusion, PM reiterates its stance against militarization and urges the government to prioritize peaceful resolutions and regional cooperation rather than preparing the road for the country’s nuclear armament. 

05 February 2024

Partido Manggagawa Advocates State Takeover of National Grid Operations Amidst Controversial MIC Investment Proposal

 

Photo from Business World

In a recent press release, Partido Manggagawa (PM) reiterates its call for the government to reassume control of the national grid, countering the suggested state investment in the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) through the Maharlika Investment Corporation (MIC), as proposed by House Speaker Martin Romualdez.

 

PM underscores its opposition to the MIC proposal, expressing concern over the diversion of public funds to support what it deems an unsound investment proposal. "We have consistently opposed the creation of MIC, and witnessing public funds being diverted to support an unsound investment proposal only strengthens our opposition," emphasized PM.

 

The group argues that reclaiming control of the national grid operations is the most appropriate alternative, as investing public funds into NGCP through MIC, owned by the country's wealthiest family and supported by Chinese state capital, is totally unnecessary.

 

PM urges the government to take back the national grid operations, highlighting the historical success of the state's management of the grid before its privatization in 2008. The national grid was then considered a 'crown jewel' among Government-Owned and Controlled Corporations (GOCCs), generating an annual net income of at least ₱20 billion.

 

"Today, it is the NGCP, rather than the state, that accumulates wealth, as revealed in previous Senate investigations. NGCP's financial statements indicate a total comprehensive income of ₱306.77 billion in 14 years, with ₱238.84 billion distributed as dividends to shareholders," lamented PM.

 

According to the labor group, the real issue facing NGCP is performance, not a lack of cash. PM contends that pouring more money into NGCP through MIC is unwise and would divert crucial resources from other essential programs.

 

The group likewise suggests that instead of investing further in NGCP, the government should rather consider imposing a wealth tax on windfall profits of power oligarchs to address the government’s own fiscal problems.

 

"NGCP’s problem is performance, not lack of cash. It is the government, on the contrary, which needs more funds; thus, it should also consider imposing a wealth tax against the windfall profits of power oligarchs," concluded PM.

FOR IMMEDIATE 

08 January 2024

Crimes and labor violations committed against women workers in POGO – labor group

Photo by Rappler

How fugitives walkaway ‘freely’ from China, slip into the country with the same ease under the pastillas scheme, and land into a legitimized POGO industry, pose a major concern for women in particular, and for the country in general. 

The Partido Manggagawa (PM) aired this warning in reaction to a recent Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation’ (PAGCOR) report aired over the media that over 2,000 Chinese nationals who work for Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGO) have been deported after authorities discovered they have criminal records in China. 

“Nakakalula,” lamented PM Secretary General Judy Ann Miranda after learning about the report that of the 70,000 POGO workers in the country, 2,000 fugitives were deported back to China since January 15 after having been found to have criminal records in the mainland. 

“That’s 3 fugitives out of 10. Imagine that kind of ratio when linked to the consequent rise in crime incidents related to POGO operations in the country. That connects the dots. Numbers don’t lie,” said Miranda. 

Miranda pointed out that protection of women workers, Filipino or otherwise, should be treated as a major concern in the country after a Taiwanese POGO worker recently complained of sexual harassment in her workplace. She’s also a victim of human trafficking. 

“Likewise, our law enforcers always point to Chinese nationals whenever drug bust operations or raids on sex dens were conducted.  So whether they are linked or not, the Philippine government must press itself in knowing the facts and employ corrective measures thereafter,” argued Miranda. 

POGO operations in the country have come under close scrutiny in the continuing Senate hearings led by Senator Risa Hontiveros.  

Senator Gordon, on the other hand, raised the possibility of POGO operations being used in money laundering after the Bureau of Customs reported that millions of dollars were brought into the country in bulk by suspected gaming operators. 

The labor department, meanwhile, revealed that some 4,000 POGO workers in the country carry the same TIN number. 

“If all these reports are true then our women, even our children, are at risk of becoming victims of crimes associated with gambling and other illicit activities,” said Miranda, adding that POGO operations in the country has been blamed for the rise of prostitution and sex trafficking of both Chinese and Filipino women. 

Once such measure, Miranda said, is to stop all POGO operations in the country, replace this industry with investments in real economy, strengthen our border security with immediate reforms in the Bureau of Immigration, and compel China to do the same as regards the illegal or criminal activities of their citizens. 

Women workers are celebrating the Women’s Month by pressing more protection mechanisms for women against violence, mass layoffs, trade union repression, high prices, among others. On March 8, women members of PM and other groups are holding a creative action in Timog Circle from 8 to 10 am in Timog Circle before marching from Morayta to LRT Carriedo for a salubungan with the Gabriela contingent. Last Tuesday, women workers picketed the DOLE main office and had a dialogue with labor officials on women's rights issues in the ecozones.

05 March 2020

Labor group slams House’s move allowing foreigners 100% ownership of public utilities

The labor group, Partido Manggagawa (PM), warns as ‘unFilipino’ and ‘dangerous’, the plan by members of the House of Representatives to relax foreign limitations on ownership of public utilities in the country by way of a killer amendment to the Commonwealth Act, otherwise known as Public Service Act of 1936. 

The House plenary on Tuesday passed on second reading House Bill 78. A majority-backed bill that passes the second reading is almost sure of passing the third and final reading at any moment.  The bill has a similar counterpart in the Senate. 

The killer amendment is aimed at differentiating “public utility” from “public service”, thereby avoiding the 60-40 limit set by the 1987 Constitution on ownership of public utility. Under the proposal, the secretariat of National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) and the Philippine Competition Commission (PCC) will have the power to recommend before Congress the reclassification of public utility as a ‘public service’. 

“Our present lawmakers are trying to make themselves economically profound yet are very confused of what a public utility is. But let’s believe our instincts here. Their confusion comes not from the grey side of the law but from their vacillating standpoint that we Filipinos can stand on our own,” stated PM spokesperson, Wilson Fortaleza. 

Fortaleza asserted that as a matter of fact, the global agenda of trade union and social movements around the world today is de-privatization as decades of globalization (liberalization, privatization and deregulation) processes did not only weaken the capacities of poor nation-states but also created the most outrageous level of inequality among peoples, where less than 1% of the population owns more than half of the world’s wealth. 

“There is now a Brexit in EU and perhaps, a Frexit and Grexit soon. Trump on the other hand is pulling the US inwards to make America great again. The main proponents of globalization are now moving to the right by talking left as this is the only way to distance their selves from a failed project. Yet here are our smart politicians trying to save this failed and evil system in the Philippines,” said Fortaleza. 

The group cited as an example the failed privatization of the country’s water and power sector, which control by oligarchs and their foreign partners, is now the favourite subject of President Duterte. 

“The oligarchs are very happy we gave them the best of our public utilities in the 1990s onwards. They want more, of course, in the same way the Chinese, Japanese, Koreans, Americans and Europeans would want to take their slice of the pie that Congress under Cayetano is willing to surrender as one,” lamented Fortaleza. 

The labor group raises the fear that if Congress is not seeing these examples as something that would make them rethink of a better alternative other than reliance to foreign, particularly Chinese investments, then this country really fits the narrative of being a Republic of Endo, Province of China.

19 February 2020

Shutdown POGOs, protect victims of crime and labor rights violations – Partido Manggagawa

The Partido Manggagawa (PM) added its voice to the growing public clamour to shutdown the operations of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) in the country, both legal and illegal. But at the same it urges the government to protect and save their workers, both foreign and local, from further injustice after having been victimized by human trafficking and other crimes committed against them by their recruiters and operators.

“Kahit saan tingnang anggulo, batay sa pagdinig sa Senado ay operasyong sindikato ang lumalabas na pag-iral ng mga POGO na ito sa ating bansa. Sino mang protektor ng operasyong ito ay dapat malantad at maparusahan,” declared PM Secretary General Judy Ann Miranda.

POGO operations in the country has come under close scrutiny from the public after news of their illegal operations, tax evasion, and the proliferation of crimes related to it such as human trafficking, sex trafficking and kidnapping, among others, began to surface one after another.

“History would tell us that high-end gambling operations, legal or not, are always accompanied by crimes especially against women as most of the victims of human trafficking, prostitution and sexual abuse are women. Whoever is allowing these things to happen should be guilty of the same crime hence must be prosecuted,” said Miranda.

The group argues that closer ties with China should not make the country more tolerant of these kinds of crimes, including violations of labor rights.

Crimes against women and violations of labor standards, Miranda stressed, have no boundaries hence the Philippine state is duty-bound to apply them to all workers, local or foreign.

“Hindi dahil malayang pinagnenegosyo ng administrasyon ang mga POGO sa bansa ay malaya na rin nilang mapagsamantalahan ang mga manggagawa,” concluded Miranda.

18 February 2020

Shutdown POGOs, protect victims of crime and labor rights violations – Partido Manggagawa

The Partido Manggagawa (PM) added its voice to the growing public clamour to shutdown the operations of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) in the country, both legal and illegal. But at the same it urges the government to protect and save their workers, both foreign and local, from further injustice after having been victimized by human trafficking and other crimes committed against them by their recruiters and operators.

“Kahit saan tingnang anggulo matapos ang pagdinig kahapon sa Senado ay operasyong sindikato ang lumalabas na pag-iral ng mga POGO na ito sa ating bansa. Sino mang protektor ng operasyong ito ay dapat malantad at maparusahan,” declared PM Secretary General Judy Ann Miranda.

POGO operations in the country has come under close scrutiny from the public after news of their illegal operations, tax evasion, and the proliferation of crimes related to it such as human trafficking, sex trafficking and kidnapping, among others, began to surface one after another.

At a public hearing conducted Wednesday, a female worker who was a victim of human trafficking told the senate committee that she was also a victim of sexual abuse in her workplace. Said witness also mentioned a ‘powerful protector’ of POGO operations in the country.

“History would tell us that high-end gambling operations, legal or not, are always accompanied by crimes especially against women as most of the victims of human trafficking, prostitution and sexual abuse are women. Whoever is allowing these things to happen should be guilty of the same crime hence must be prosecuted,” said Miranda.

The group argues that closer ties with China should not make the country more tolerant of these kinds of crimes, including violations of labor rights.

Crimes against women and violations of labor standards, Miranda stressed, have no boundaries hence the Philippine state is duty-bound to apply them to all workers, local or foreign.

“Hindi dahil malayang pinagnenegosyo ng administrasyon ang mga POGO sa bansa ay malaya na rin nilang mapagsamantalahan ang mga manggagawa,” concluded Miranda.

13 February 2020

Militant group welcomes end of VFA despite wrong reason for its termination

The militant Partido Manggagawa (PM) today welcomed the termination of the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) with the United States despite it being ended by President Rodrigo Duterte as a retaliation for the cancellation of the visa of ally Senator Bato dela Rosa.

“Militant workers and women workers do not shed a tear for the death of the VFA even if it was terminated for the wrong reason by President Duterte. We look forward to no more Jennifer Laudes killed and Nicoles raped by US soldiers in the Philippines,” stated Judy Ann Miranda, PM secretary-general.

PM was active in the campaign for justice for Nicole, the accuser in the so-called Subic rape case by a US Marine in 2005. Then in 2014, another US Marine killed transgender Jennifer Laude in Olongapo.

Miranda averred that “Moreover, we demand that aside from the VFA, the Mutual Defense Treaty and the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement be abrogated too. We stand for an independent foreign policy founded on preserving and protecting our country’s sovereignty and national interest, and cooperation with other nations on the basis of common concerns.”

The termination of the VFA and other pressing social issues in the country will be the subject of an assembly by PM this afternoon. More than a hundred union, urban poor, women and youth leaders in the NCR, Calabarzon and Central Luzon are meeting in QC Memorial Circle for a discussion of the national situation. PM is also celebrating its 19^th anniversary.

Miranda added that “We would have wanted President Duterte to tear up the VFA because he stood up for Philippine sovereignty. But that is wishful thinking of a President who also cannot defend our country against China’s incursions.”

“Those who argue that the VFA is needed to defend ourselves from China are wrong. The VFA did not stop China from militarizing the West Philippine Sea. It is not war or warmongering that will resolve the WPS dispute. Instead the Philippines needs to muster a coalition of Southeast Asian nations for a multilateral agreement on the WPS,” Miranda explained.

The group also took to task the senators who are trying to save the VFA. “It would have been better if these senators had agreed with the termination of the VFA on the right basis of advancing Philippine sovereignty. But again it is too much to ask of these weak-kneed politicians. Apparently their loyalty to Tatay Digong ends where their loyalty to Uncle Sam begins,” Miranda insisted.

February 12, 2020

Workers ask DOLE to include labor reps in Boracay inspection

Photo from Philstar.com

The partylist group Partido Manggagawa welcomed the inspection by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) of Boracay establishments even as it asked for the inclusion of labor representatives in the plan.

“We request the DOLE to include duly deputized representatives of labor groups in the planned inspection in Boracay to ensure compliance by Chinese-owned shops and stores of our labor laws and regulations. Under DO 183 released in 2017, reps of workers and employers can be deputized as labor inspectors to strengthen the labor law compliance system. Dozens of deputized inspectors from workers organizations have been trained since then and should now be deployed by the DOLE in Boracay,” stated Rene Magtubo, PM national chair.

He added that “Some 30,000 workers were displaced by President Rodrigo Duterte’s closure of Boracay last year and most of them have not found employment again in the island. So we are concerned about reports that the Chinese-owned establishments have been exclusively hiring Chinese nationals as cashiers, cooks, waitresses, laborers and drivers. This is a violation of our labor regulations as these are jobs that can be done by Filipinos.”

“However, we do not call for the expulsion or deportation of Chinese workers. The Chinese migrant workers should be treated justly just as we would like our overseas Filipino workers to be treated with dignity abroad. Once there is a formal determination that their jobs can be done by Filipinos and can be filled up, the Chinese workers can then be repatriated back to China at the expense of their Chinese employers who violated our laws. The Chinese workers must be paid by their Chinese employers for their wages for the duration of their contract even though it was not served because of the repatriation. This is our pro-migrant worker resolution of these problem of influx of Chinese workers in our country,” Magtubo explained.

He averred that “Finally, we ask the DOLE to priotize the re-employment of Filipino workers displaced by the Boracay shutdown last year. The government has a master list of these displaced workers. Now that Boracay is back in business, these workers should be re-employed as promised.”

April 21, 2019

Partylist slams Chinese ambassador’s threat vs OFW’s

Photo from Business World

The partylist Partido Manggagawa slammed Chinese Ambassador Zhao Jianhua for threatening to retaliate against OFW’s in China even as the group opposed the call for the mass deportation of Chinese migrant workers. “We stand for the protection of all migrant workers everywhere and thus oppose threats and plans for deporting en masse both Filipino and Chinese migrant workers,” stated Rene Magtubo, PM national chair.

He added that “The Chinese ambassador’s threat is a blatant blackmail and the government should grow enough spine for the Department of Foreign Affairs to make a diplomatic protest.”

The group asserted that migrant workers should not made pawns in a diplomatic war and also must not become scapegoats in a failed government policy. “It is the Chinese investors bringing in Chinese workers that must be made responsible for their crimes. Everybody’s hypocritically talking of upholding the law by evicting Chinese workers but turn a blind eye to the violations by Chinese investors,” Magtubo explained.

He furthered that “At the root of the problem is the Duterte administration’s lax policy with regard to the entry of Chinese capital and loans. The government itself created the problem because of its subservience to the interests of the Chinese government and Chinese capitalists.”

Magtubo averred that “Instead of mass deportations of migrant workers in the Philippines and China, we call for a bilateral labor agreement to protect migrant workers. Such an agreement must secure decent wages, benefits, working conditions and jobs including the freedom to unionize. Further, to plug the gaping loophole that facilitates illegal migration, labor deployment abroad must be through government channels instead of private agencies.”

February 27, 2019

Press Release: End to endo, wage boards top labor partylist demands on Bonifacio Day

The abolition of contractualization and the regional wage boards were the top demands of the labor partylist Partido Manggagawa (PM) in nationwide rallies to commemorate Bonifacio Day. Some one thousand workers, urban poor, community youth and college students joined the mobilization in Manila. Coordinated rallies were also held today in Cebu, Bacolod and Davao.

“If Gat Andres Bonifacio were alive today, he would no doubt be leading another revolution to defend workers against the onslaught of endo by greedy capitalists, the cheapening of wages by the regional wage boards and the loss of our sovereignty to both the US and China. To symbolize the fight, instead of ripping Spanish cedulas, Bonifacio would be tearing up the endo contracts and the wage orders,” stated Rene Magtubo, PM national chair.

PM together with allied groups Kilos Maralita, Umalab Ka, National Federation of Labor, Aguila (Association of General Unions, Institutions and Labor Associations) and PUP student group SPEAK assembled its contingents at Blumentritt, Espana early this morning. By 9:00 am, they moved a short distance to Welcome Rotonda to merge with other groups under the labor coalition Nagkaisa. Around 10:00 am, the several-thousand strong rally marched down Espana towards Morayta. There Nagkaisa held a program to issue its “workers’ challenge” to candidates in the coming elections.

PM is calling on Congress to pass the pending Security of Tenure bill that provides for strict regulation against contractualization and aims to make regular jobs the norm in employment relations. Likewise, the group is demanding for a reform of the wage setting mechanism and a return to a national minimum wage instead of the present regional wages.

Magtubo asserted that “Duterte promised to abolish endo the moment he becomes president. In a dialogue with labor groups, he also said that ‘provincial rates’ must be eliminated. Three years into his term, these remain broken promises. Instead of focusing on people’s concerns like wages, jobs and inflation, his administration aims to capture the Senate so it can railroad the shift to federalism through charter change even as it continues the bloody war on drugs and prepares to start a new, bloodier war against communist rebels.”

PM is participating in the coming elections for the partylist. The demand to end endo and abolish the regional wage boards are part of its platform of “Apat na Dapat.” The other demands include provision of decent housing for the poor, subsidy for sustainable agriculture by farmers, and social services for women and youth.

November 30, 2018