Workers message to Cardinal Rosales, open your heart for the people

The Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) labor center congratulates His Eminence Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales for his elevation to the College of Cardinals. Furthermore, the workers group appealed to the Cardinal to further extend a helping hand for the poor and suffering Filipinos.

"Now that he is already a Cardinal, more people will look up to him for hope. We hope he will continue leading the Church to be with the people during their hardships and struggles, especially in a dark period like this where repression and greed for power reign in our government," said KMU Chairperson Elmer Labog.

"We urge him to make his optimism for the country a reality by taking firm stand on issues concerning the majority of Filipino people. Workers, poor people and the vast majority of deprived Filipinos are enduring unimaginable sacrifices everyday to survive the hardships of life. It is very hard to achieve national unity if our present leaders are only concerned with their own, selfish interests for money and power at the expense of poor people who become hungrier each day."

"We appeal to the Cardinal to take a stand on issues regarding the need for urgent wage increase, employment, social services vis-à-vis the growing corruption and rottenness within the ruling system. We know he is optimistic with the current government but we solemnly ask to him to further open his good heart and hear the people's woes and respond to their pleas," said KMU Spokesperson Presto Suyat.

In particular, KMU urged the newly-elevated Cardinal to take a stance on the workers' demand for urgent wage hike, rising unemployment and the alarming state of repression happening on a nationwide scale. "We look up to the Cardinal to reclaim the dignity of human work.

"Cardinal Rosales must serve as a sheperd to the people and the Church must become a sanctuary for those who become victims of political repression, human rights violations and other forms of oppression," Suyat stressed.