1Sambayan coalition announced at their virtual proclamation rally that they will support Human rights lawyer and Bayan Muna chairperson Neri Colmenares' senatorial bid, January 28. 

Colmenares then said that Makabayan will also back Presidential aspirant and current Vice President Leni Robredo and her running mate Kiko Pangilinan in the upcoming elections in May.

During his speech, Colmenares said Makabayan and the Leni-Kiko tandem are united in their stands on issues such as pandemic response, rights of workers, farmers, the poor, and the indigenous peoples, environment, human rights, and the West Philippine Sea.

"Ako ay nananalig na sa ating pinagkaisang lakas, tayo ay magtatagumpay laban sa tambalan ng kadiliman na nais ipagpatuloy ang tiraniya at baluktot na pamamahala sa ating bansa," Colmenares said. 

In an interview with Bulatlat, Colmenares said that Marcos is an important component of the campaign of Makabayan for Robredo and Pangilinan, joining a united front for all dissenting forces against the Dutertes, the Marcoses and their cronies in the May elections. 

"Ang mga komon na tindig sa isyu, ang naging track record ng mga kandidato, at ang napakahalagang laban para biguin ang tambalang Marcos- Duterte, ang naging batayan ng Makabayan para pormal na sina Leni Robredo at Kiko Pangilinan. Hindi sa lahat ng bagay ay magkakasundo kami, ngunit kapwa kaming bukas na pag-usapan ang mga usapin at abutin ang kaisahan para sa kapakanan ng bayan," Makabayan declares during their press conference earlier. 

Colmenares also enumerated his platforms which include the Free Healthcare Law for an adequate and free access to medicines and healthcare in all public hospitals. The human rights lawyer said he will also include free treatment and financial aid in response to the still on-going COVID-19 pandemic. 

With regards to the worker sector, Colmenares' platform encompasses fighting for regularization of contractual employees and to have legislated national minimum wage that will suffice for the workers' livelihood, meanwhile for the peasant sector, the Bayan Muna chairperson aims to forward genuine agrarian reform. 

"Pangatlo, gagawin ko ang lahat para matigil na ang mga extrajudicial killings at iba pang paglabag sa karapatan ng ating mamamayan. Susuportahan ko ang pag abot sa just and lasting peace sa bansa sa pamamagitan ng paglutas sa mga ugat ng labanan tungo sa pagkamit ng tunay na kapayapaan," he added.

Under the Duterte administration, the regime has targeted impoverished Filipinos in urban areas with its war on drugs, killing more than 30,000 citizens since he assumed office in 2016. 

Among others, Colmenares also pushes for passing the SOGIE Bill, Human Rights Defenders Bill, and continuing the GRP-NDFP Peace talks. 

Apart from Colmenares, #BongToTheSenate also trended on Twitter with people demanding the coalition to include labor leader Bong Labog in their senatorial bid for a genuine representation of workers and marginalized in the Senate. 

Labog, who was also endorsed by Anakpawis party-list in the senate, is the chairperson of the labor group Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU), and served for the group in various capacities such as; secretary for socio-economic and cooperative development, deputy secretary-general and secretary-general. 

The KMU chair was also among the labor leaders who urged the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in July 2021 to investigate the online red-tagging of labor organizers.

Labog, if elected, said he will push for a national minimum wage, and to put an end to the practice of contractualization in the country.

1Sambayan is yet to announce if they would endorse Labog in the upcoming elections. 

Report by Agatha Patricio

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