DAVAO CITY – A Kilusang Mayo Uno-led (KMU) protest against a banana exporter that hampered the flow of goods and people on Monday angered Mayor Sara Duterte, prompting her to call on the public not to support the progressive groups under the umbrella of the Makabayan bloc in the 2019 mid-term elections.
“Do not support the party-list groups under the Makabayan bloc — these are Bayan Muna, Alliance of Concerned Teachers or ACT, Anakpawis, Gabriela, Kabataan, and Migrante,” Mayor Sara said on Tuesday, as she vented her ire on the labor group over the protest incident that caused a major traffic jam along the city’s main thoroughfares.
“These militant groups, who masquerade themselves as pro-people, only want to sow hostility and chaos, especially to those who reject them and the terrorist groups they support — the New People’s Army (NPA), the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP), and the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP),” she said in a press statement released on Tuesday.
She said the city and its residents were greatly disturbed by the protest action, but praised the Dabawenyos for their patience.
“The Dabawenyos stood tall,” the mayor added.
Mayor Sara said the KMU-led protest created inconvenience to the riding public when it blocked the road in Lasang and hampered the flow of goods and people for nearly four hours.
“They terrorize, engender lawlessness, create confusion, disrespect fellow human beings, put lives in danger, and disregard any authority altogether,” she said.
“The roadblock led by Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) in Barangay Lasang in Davao City yesterday (Monday) was an example of how these groups intend to govern should they be given the power to lead our government and the country,” she added.
The Sumifru workers and the KMU arrived in Lasang — a major thoroughfare linking Davao City to many provinces in Mindanao — at past 3 p.m. The workers were said to be part of the protesters who initiated mass actions against the packing plants of Sumifru in San Miguel, Compostela town, Compostela Valley province, early this month.
The workers called on the banana exporter to recognize them as the “Sole and Exclusive Bargaining Agent (SEBA)” following a recent favorable Supreme Court decision.
The Sumifru management reportedly insisted that the case has not yet reached finality pending a motion for reconsideration before the High Court. (Lilian Mellejor/PNA)
