As House Majority Leader Sandro Marcos recently filed a bill to impose a “no work, no pay” scheme on lawmakers — officially House Bill No. 7432 — claiming it would curb absenteeism and strengthen accountability, Filipino workers are having none of the half-baked theatrics.

Let’s be clear: ordinary workers already live by the principle Marcos suddenly discovered. When a construction laborer, factory worker, driver, teacher, or food service crew member misses a day of work without valid reason, they lose a day’s pay — and often bear the real cost of those lost pesos. Meanwhile, high-paid legislators can skip sessions, muddle through committee hearings, and still collect full compensation.

So, when Sandro Marcos pitches “no work, no pay” as if it’s a bold, new idea, workers can’t help but notice the political timing: another piece of legislative gimmick meant to score pogi points while public trust in national leadership’s approval ratings are sinking. The spectacle of proposing what workers already do — while sidestepping the real issues — smells less like reform and more like propaganda with a hashtag.

Let’s get real: why would any legislator willingly give up at least ₱10,000 a day in salary, allowances, and perks? If they truly had scruples, they wouldn’t need a bill — they’d dock their own pay and refund taxpayers right now, no press release required. And even if this somehow becomes law, we all know how it will end: lawmakers policing themselves, penalties easily dodged, attendance magically “complied with.” After all, they’re their own bosses — and they don’t even have to punch a time card.

Workers are not impressed.

Here’s what workers actually want from legislators:

Pass meaningful laws that uplift workers’ lives.
Real wage increases tied to the rising cost of living and inflation.
Measures to strengthen job security and benefits.

Expansion of protections for contract, informal, and migrant workers.
Reforms that actually curb abuse of public funds and political privilege.
Anti-dynasty legislation that closes loopholes and ends political monopolies.
Budget transparency so citizens can track where every peso goes.
Strengthened investigations and penalties for corruption, including full subpoena and contempt powers for independent investigative bodies.

In short: workers want lawmakers working on workers’ priorities — not lawmakers working a PR gimmick.
If legislators truly believe in accountability, they should prove it with real output, not empty slogans. Pass the laws that matter to ordinary Filipinos — not the ones that look good on paper or on trending feeds.

The December 2025 Labor Force Survey confirms what workers already feel every day: the economy is failing to generate the jobs people desperately need—and this collapse happened during the Christmas season, when employment should have peaked. If jobs can’t grow at Christmas, when will they?

The problem is not just unemployment, but the quality of jobs being created. While wage and salary employment inched up slightly, 35.8% of all jobs remain low-quality—self-employment, unpaid family labor, or work in family-run farms and businesses. This is an economy creating work without dignity.

Despite excuses from Malacañang’s economic team, the data is clear. The corruption scandal and the government’s bungled response played a major role in this outcome. Construction alone suffered massive job losses after the administration froze projects instead of decisively addressing corruption. Once again, workers paid the price for government indecision.

Even more alarming, manufacturing also shed jobs—deepening the country’s de-industrialization. A nation that cannot sustain manufacturing employment is a nation giving up on stable, long-term work. No factories, no future.

Global disruptions—from wars to trade turbulence triggered by Trump-era protectionism—have certainly intensified the crisis. But these shocks merely expose a deeper failure at home: the absence of a coherent industrial policy and the government’s refusal to take the lead in rebuilding manufacturing. This failure is underscored by the President’s veto of the CARS and RACE programs, which further endangers workers in the automotive and auto-parts industries and threatens the entire supply chain. This is bad leadership.

Breaking this pattern requires urgent action: a strong industrial policy anchored on manufacturing revival, combined with a large-scale public employment program. Jobs will not appear by magic—government must build them.

Sentro ng mga Nagkakaisa at Progresibong Manggagawa (SENTRO), together with the NAGKAISA Labor Coalition, expresses its support for the filing of the impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Zimmerman Duterte.

As labor organizations rooted in the struggles of working people, we assert that no public official—regardless of position or power—is above the Constitution. Workers demand accountability, especially when serious allegations involve abuse of authority and the misuse of public resources that should serve jobs, education, and social protection.

“Public office is a public trust—and when that trust is gravely violated, accountability is not optional; it is imperative,” Josua Mata, secretary general of SENTRO and one of the 17 complainants, declared.

Impeachment is a constitutional mechanism to defend public trust and protect institutions that working people rely on for dignity, fairness, and justice.

“Every peso stolen, every abuse ignored, is a burden carried by workers and their families,” Mata added.

The Sentro ng mga Nagkakaisa at Progresibong Manggagawa (SENTRO) welcomes the decision of the International Criminal Court (ICC) affirming that former President Rodrigo Duterte is fit to participate in pre-trial proceedings in the crimes against humanity case arising from the so-called “war on drugs.”

This decision honors the voices of families who refused to be silenced. Behind every case number is a life taken, a family broken, and a community left to live with fear and loss. For them, justice has been delayed for far too long.

Accountability is not revenge—it is part of healing. Justice begins by listening to the pain of ordinary people, especially the poor and working communities who bore the brunt of violence and impunity. This ruling brings hope to families who endured quietly and persisted bravely in demanding truth.

The ICC’s decision also affirms a fundamental principle: no amount of power should outweigh the value of a human life. Human rights violations are not policy choices; they are crimes that demand accountability.

SENTRO recognizes the courage of victims, their families, and human rights defenders who continued to seek justice despite intimidation, denial, and the absence of effective domestic remedies. When national institutions fail to protect their people, international justice becomes necessary—not optional.

We call on the Philippine government to respect international legal processes and to recommit to protecting human dignity, civil liberties, and the rights of workers and communities.

Justice may be slow, but it remains possible. The ICC’s decision is a step toward dignity, accountability, and an end to impunity.