MANILA, Philippines – Labor leaders Leody de Guzman and Luke Espiritu announced their senatorial bid on Saturday, September 14.
De Guzman and Espiritu formalized their bid during the Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino (BMP)’s 31st anniversary.
Aside from highlighting the need to improve the country’s labor sector and Filipinos’ living conditions, De Guzman also said in his speech Saturday that the citizenry must be politically aware about the prevalence of political dynasties.
“Dapat ‘wag nating kalilimutan na isabay na puno’t dulo ng mga isyung inilalaban natin ngayon ay walang iba kundi ang political dynasty, ang elite na gobyerno. Sila ang gumagawa ng mga batas, patakaran, programa na naglilingkod sa malalaking negosyante,” the labor leader said.
(We should not forget to highlight that the root of the issues we’re fighting for is no other than political dynasty, the elite government. They’re the ones who make the laws, rules, and programs that serve big businesses.)
Espiritu did not only allude to political dynasties in his speech but also took a swipe at President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Vice President Sara Duterte.
“Umabot na tayo sa punto na hindi na natin tatanggapin…ang trapo, ang political dynasties, [at ang] pangbubudol. Hindi natin tatanggapin si Marcos at si Duterte. Hindi natin tatanggapin na sila lang ang nagdidikta ng pampolitikang diskurso sa ating lipunan. At ngayon, gusto nating kamtin ang pampolitikal na kapangyarihan,” Espiritu said.
(We’ve reached the point that we’re now rejecting traditional politics, political dynasties, and false promises. We will no longer accept Marcos and Duterte. We won’t accept that they’re the only ones who control the political discourse. And now, we want to reclaim our political power.)
De Guzman ran for president in 2022 under the Partido Lakas ng Masa, placing 8th with 92,070 votes. Prior to this, he also ran for the Senate in 2019 and ranked 38th.
In his bid for the country’s top post, De Guzman said he and his running mate Walden Bello ran to fight what they called the “Marcos-Duterte Axis of Evil.”
They also carried the line, “Bagong Politika, Bagong Ekonomiya (New Politics, New Economy),” and launched platforms anchored on economic stimulus, political reforms, and social development.
Espiritu, meanwhile, ran in the 2022 Senate race under the De Guzman-Bello ticket. He placed 34th with 3,470,550 votes.
Also a lawyer, Espiritu was former national president, official spokesperson, and labor organizer of the BMP. He also previously served as the national president of the Solidarity of Unions in the Philippines for Empowerment and Reforms Federation.
Espiritu was also a Board of Trustees member of the Freedom from Debt Coalition and its legal counsel in its campaign against the privatization of electricity. – Rappler.com