Pinoy Weekly | Workers remember Ka Bel, vow to continue his fight

Posted: 06 Jan 2014 11:33 PM PST

Workers and relatives pay respect to the late labor leader and representative, Crispin “Ka Bel” Beltran in his 81st birthday. (Contributed Photo/KMU)

In a simple yet militant celebration, workers and other sectors commemorated the late labor leader and representative Crispin “Ka Bel” Beltran’s 81st birthday in the latter’s marker in Plaza Miranda, Quiapo.

The celebration was held amidst rising costs of utilities, petroleum products among others. After the program in Quiapo, supporters held picket-protest in front of Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) branch along Espana Avenue also in Manila.

According to KMU, Beltran was in the forefront of protests against any unjust increases. He even became a leading icon in the protests against the Purchased Power Adjustment (PPA), an old scheme by Meralco to increase its profits.

As a representative of Anakpawis Party-list, he also filed the house bill to junk the Energy Power Industry Reform Act (Epira).

“During the Epira hype, he refused to pay his electricity bill for a year as a form of protest,” said Ofel Beltran-Balleta, executive-director of Crispin B. Beltran Resource Center (CBBRC) and Beltran’s daughter.

Workers held a brief picket protest infront of Meralco’s Espana branch, the workers calls for the junking of Epira Law aside from the stopping power rate hikes. (Contributed photo/KMU)

“If Ka Bel was alive today, he would surely be in the forefront of protests to condemn the Aquino government for colluding with the capitalists in the power industry in burdening the Filipino people. We are calling on our fellow workers and the people to intensify our struggle against this power rate hike,” said Roger Soluta, KMU secretary-general .

KMU said its high time to junk Epira which has been “used by capitalists to freely raise power rates”.

“(Unlike Beltran who fought against the law,) Aquino is not at all willing to curb the rate hike. Instead, he wants the people to just accept this heavy burden to please his capitalist bosses” Soluta said.

The group vowed to hold bigger and bolder protests against Meralco’s rate hike and to demand the junking of Epira.

“Ka Bel has died, yet his reasons for struggling have not died with him. A meaningful wage hike has yet to be implemented, the oil cartel continues to threaten the livelihood of the people, there is job insecurity, genuine land reform is being pushed into a corner by a sham land reform program, and there is even widespread poverty. These are the reasons why pushing for hikes would spell death for the common people,” Balleta added.