QUEZON CITY, Philippines – Senatorial aspirants Leody de Guzman and Luke Espiritu kicked off their “Manggagawa Naman” campaign last night as they took a swipe at both the current Marcos Jr. and the previous Duterte administration’s Senate slates.
In their proclamation rally at the Bantayog ng mga Bayani, the Partido Lakas ng Masa (PLM) banks on their bets as the “third force” needed to challenge “corrupt” politicians and their “rehashed and recycled promises.”
“Makapasok lang kami sa Senado, gugulong ang ulo ng mga taga-political dynasties. Hindi kami nagbibiro,” Espiritu said.
(If we were to make it to the Senate, the heads of those from political dynasties would roll. We’re not joking.)
In the inaugural proclamation rally of Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said the other slates supposedly lacked qualifications to run for office.
“Nagtataka nga ako parang ‘yung mga ibang mga naging kandidato, nag-deliver lang yata ng suka, nabigyan na ng certificate of candidacy dahil walang ikukumpara sa ating mga kandidato,” Marcos said in his bailiwick Ilocos Norte last Feb. 11.
(I was wondering why the other candidates, who may have just delivered vinegar, were given certificates of candidacy right away since there’s no basis to compare them to our candidates.)
De Guzman said the need to recognize sectoral and labor leaders as national leaders is the driving force behind the #LaborVote slate, which “advances the interest of the workers and marginalized.”
“Hindi kami tagahatid ng suka, Bongbong Marcos. Kami ay tagahatid ng pagbabago,” Espiritu said.
(We’re not vinegar couriers, Bongbong Marcos. We’re couriers of change.)
In the morning, de Guzman and Espiritu conducted a house-to-house campaign within Brgy. Central, where they led a consultation regarding the community’s pressing issues.
“Ang tunay na opposition, ‘yan ang nagsusulong ng interes ng manggagawa at interes ng masang Pilipinong mahihirap sa ilalim ng kapitalistang paghahari at ng kasabwat nilang trapo at dynasty,” de Guzman said.
(The true opposition advances the interests of the workers and the poor Filipino masses under the capitalist regime and the complicit corrupt politicians and dynasties.)
In Pulse Asia’s January pre-election survey, the two ranked outside the Magic 12 forecast.
The PLM bets both failed to secure national seats in the last 2022 elections. Espiritu also ran for senator back then, while de Guzman gunned for the presidency with his vice presidential tandem, Walden Bello.
Fellow labor leaders and senatorial candidates Atty. Sonny Matula from the Federation of Free Workers and Atty. Ernesto Arellano from the National Confederation of Labor joined them in the rally. They form the labor’s senatorial slate along with Kilusang Mayo Uno secretary-general and Makabayan bet Jerome Adonis.
Also in support were ARISE party-list first nominee and University of the Philippines School of Labor and Industrial Relations professor emeritus Dr. Rene Ofreneo, Mamamayang Liberal party-list fourth nominee Jessica Amon, and Bunyog party-list senatorial bet David D’Angelo who was with PLM in the previous polls.
“Ang mga manggagawa ay hindi dapat matakot sa kapangyarihan. Dapat hawakan ng manggagawa ang kapangyarihan,” Matula said.
(The workers should not fear power. They should seize it.)
