MANILA — Partido Lakas ng Masa presidential aspirant Leody De Guzman on Monday joined a rally of a number of bus drivers in Quezon City calling for the release of unpaid salaries amounting to P20 million.

The participating drivers supposedly worked for the EDSA bus carousel project but are all still unpaid.

"Mag-iisang taon na kayong tinitiis ng (Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board). Nasan ba ang pera? Ilabas n'yo na ang pera. Hindi puwedeng tatlong araw kada buwan ang sweldo. Mabubuhay ba kayo roon?" De Guzman said in his speech at the protest action.

(The LTFRB has been making you suffer for a year already. Where is the money? Bring out the money.)

"'Wag n'yong pahirapan ang frontliner natin ngayong panahon ng pandemya," he added.

(Don't make it hard for our frontliners this pandemic.)

De Guzman slammed the government for praising economic frontliners but seemingly neglecting pay and benefits.

"Puro kayo papuri sa mga frontliner. Kailangan namin ay kongkreto at materyal na bagay para kami ay mabuhay," the labor leader said.

(All you do is praise the frontliners. We need concrete and material things for us to survive.)

"Ako ay nananawagan sa Malacañang, ilabas n'yo na ang pera. At kung nagastos na ng ES Transport Group ang pera, ikulong ang mga walanghiyang ito," he added.

(I am calling on Malacañang to release the money. And if the ES Transport Group has already spent the money, shut down these shameless company.)

De Guzman has been pushing for a socialist approach in governance for his presidential bid this year. He has been pushing for the welfare of the labor sector, and that includes drivers.

In a succeeding interview in Politiskoop, the labor leader elaborated his platform of a pro-people wealth tax. Asked if that is a realistic approach, he said people's initiative will be challenging but possible.

Legal experts have pointed out that wealth tax cannot be legislated using people's initiative because, under the Constitution, tax measures must originate from the House of Representatives.

De Guzman was also asked about how he will recover the ill-gotten wealth of the Marcoses.

The labor leader wasn't able to give specifics but said he and his running mate Walden Bello know how the money was deposited and will implement measures to recover them.

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