By DIEGO MORRA
The Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) is mobilizing thousands of workers for its “SONA ng Paniningil” in time for the 4th State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on July 28, 2025. KMU’s broad call for the Marcos SONA is “Marcos Singilin, Duterte Panagutin, Sara Patalsikin,” dramatizing the people’s disgust with the measly increase in minimum wage in Metro Manila and the demands of workers to abolish the regional wage boards and the implementation of the P1,200 living wage nationwide.
KMU said the economic condition of Filipino workers did not improve three years after Marcos Jr. assumed power. In fact, wages have been diminished by real inflation, not the manufactured inflation rate by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) under the command of the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA), now known as the Department of Economic Planning and Development (DepDev.) KMU said it reiterates its demand for the Marcos regime to end all forms of contractualization, respect workers’ rights to unionize and to strike, criminalize occupational safety and health (OSH) violations, release all political prisoners and render justice for all slain workers and trade unionists.
The labor center said that it condemns the administration’s maneuvering that sabotaged the prompt Senate impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte, rampant graft, the plunder of the national budget, state neglect and the imposition of policies which are detrimental to the Filipino people. Workers will converge at KFC Tandang Sora at 1 p.m. and march to St. Peter’s Parish along Commonwealth Ave. at 2:30 p.m. for the Peoples’ SONA. KMU expects thousands of workers from Metro Manila, Calabarzon and Central Luzon will join the march and the People’s SONA.
Farmers are also mobilizing for Marcos Jr.’s 4th SONA, with delegations of farmers converging at the main office of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) in Quezon City at 9:30 a.m. and marching to Tandang Sora at 1 p.m. before continuing the protest at the St. Peter’s Parish along Commonwealth Ave. The Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) said farmers will roundly condemn the worsening state of Philippine agriculture under the Marcos Jr. administration. Along with farm workers, peasant women, fisherfolk and rural advocates, farmers will denounce the deepening agricultural and economic crisis, failed policies and continued neglect of rural communities.
The picket outside the DAR will expose fake land reform programs and demand genuine land distribution. The rural sectors will unveil a protest mural entitled: Marcos, peste! Puksain! depicting farmers’ determination in rejecting Marcos Jr’s leadership and anti-farmer policies. KMP had tagged Marcos Jr. as “peste sa magsasaka” in 2022. Three years into his term, they now call him the “worst calamity to hit the countryside.” Protesters will spotlight the impacts of recent typhoons, fake land reform schemes, massive land conversion, militarization and displacement of farmers, fisherfolk and indigenous peoples.
As the 20th Congress resumes its session on Monday, July 28, 2025, peasant groups will press for the urgent passage of the Genuine Agrarian Reform Bill (GARB), the repeal of the Rice Liberalization Law (RLL), an end to militarization and state terror in rural areas, and the impeachment and conviction of Sara Duterte. KMP will also denounce the Marcos sellout to US President Donald Trump, with Philippine export products being assessed a tariff of 19% while American cars, soyabean, corn, wheat and pharmaceutical products will be dumped into the Philippines with zero tariff. Marcos Jr., KMP argued, did not negotiate for the best terms, earning a mere 1 percentage reduction from the 20% tariff earlier inflicted by Trump. Strangely, Marcos Jr. failed to understand that Trump’s trade deals are illegal under US law, with three federal courts already that deciding that Trump’s trade deals using the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to impose wide-ranging tariffs and cut bilateral deals far exceeded the powers granted to any President by Congress.
A recent note from the Piper Sandler investment bank warned that “Trump will probably continue to lose in the lower courts, and we believe the SC is highly unlikely to rule in his favor.” Trump’s trade policy has encountered stiff resistance as lower courts push back against the administration’s sweeping claims of executive authority. On May 28, the US Court of International Trade (CIT) ruled unanimously against Trump’s use of the IEEPA for tariffs, calling the administration’s arguments unconvincing. The decision is now under appeal. In a separate May 29 ruling, DC District Judge Rudolph Contreras found that the IEEPA does not enable the president to impose tariffs at all and ordered an immediate reversal of certain duties. Piper Sandler said the heart of the matter is congressional intent. IEEPA, enacted in 1977, was designed to give the president emergency economic powers, but not blanket authority to set tariffs. In short, there are judicial impediments to Trump’s rabid obsession to inflict higher tariffs, a function reserved for Congress, and Marcos and his team apparently were ignorant of this fact. Why did they not use it as a leverage in arguing for lower tariffs. Moreover, unilateral impositions of tariffs violate the rules of the World Trade Organization (WTO), as a former NEDA chief argued.
Courts have rejected the idea that the statute includes such sweeping power. Even recent bilateral deals, such as Trump’s agreement with Japan, do not cure the underlying legal flaw. Congress, not the president, holds the ultimate authority to impose tariffs and approve international trade agreements. Piper Sandler stresses: “Making a deal with another country has no bearing on the legality of Trump’s tariffs.” Executive-led deals sans congressional approval lack legal standing. “If Trump does not have the authority to impose tariffs he is claiming, it doesn’t matter whether he makes a deal with Japan or anyone else.” Better intelligence is an advantage in negotiations. Were Marcos Jr. and his negotiators armed with such intelligence?
