Labor leaders push for ‘real opposition,’ end of dynasties in facing uphill Senate race

Metro Manila, Philippines - Labor leaders Leody de Guzman and Luke Espiritu have touted themselves as the “real opposition” in the Senate during Sunday’s (Feb. 16) proclamation rally, as they begin an uphill race that pits them against political dynasties.

The two candidates running under the Partido Lakas ng Masa ticket mounted their campaign sortie at the Bantayog ng mga Bayani in Quezon City, almost a week after the first day of the official campaign period, with a central message: toppling political dynasties.

Espiritu addressed the comment of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. that rival candidates of the administration slate “Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas” were unqualified — that some seemed only to deliver “vinegar” but were given certificates of candidacy.

Marcos’ remarks during the first leg of Alyansa’s campaign rallies were believed to be directed at the senatorial slate of former President Rodrigo Duterte, or those endorsed by the PDP-Laban.

Espiritu, however, criticized both Marcos and Duterte and the big political families they represent.

“Ipakita natin sa kanila na umiiral tayo sa mundong ibabaw… Tayo ang kinabukasan hindi pwede na dinastiya ang kinabukasan,” the labor leader told supporters.

[Translation: Let’s show them that we exist. We are the future. We should not let political dynasties be the future.]

De Guzman also said that the “real opposition” would be the candidates who push for the rights and welfare of workers, and the Filipino people oppressed by capitalists, “trapos” or traditional politicians, and dynasties.

“Ang kalaban namin ay ang kampo ng kadiliman at kampo ng kasamaan na kinakatawan ni Duterte at ni Marcos na nagre-represent sa interes ng mga mayayaman, ng mga korporasyon, ng mga bilyonaryo sa ating bansa,” he said in a chance interview.

[Translation: We are up against the camps of darkness and evil of Duterte and Marcos - they represent the interest of the rich, corporations, and billionaires.]

De Guzman also said “trapos” or traditional politicians supposedly craft laws that would only benefit the elite and oppress the Filipino people, adding that corrupt politics is the root cause of various issues ranging from wages to prices to joblessness, and to the lack of union rights.

During the 2022 elections, De Guzman ran for president while Espiritu made a senatorial bid. In running again for national posts, the two socialist leaders said they plan to maximize social media platforms in campaigning.

In a pre-election survey conducted in January, Pulse Asia said De Guzman got a voter preference of 2.5 percent, posting a 26-40 rank. Espiritu had a voter preference of 1.3 percent and a 30-55 rank.

Espiritu said they would build and strengthen “forces,” counting mainly on Gen Z Filipinos who eschew old political names, as well as laborers who continue fighting for their rights and welfare. 

“Tanggalin natin ang advantage ng pera. Tanggalin natin ang advantage ng makinarya. All things being equal, sa tingin nyo, hindi kami mananalo ni Ka Leody? Eh, kapag kumparahin niyo na lang ang laman ng aming binibitbit sa kanila, sila (pertaining to senatorial slates from Marcos and Duterte camps), empty, bankrupt, walang sinasabi,” Espiritu claimed.

[Translation: Let’s remove the advantage of having money and machinery. All things being equal, do you think Ka Leody and I would not win? If we compare the things that we bring to the table vis-a-vis those offered by the Marcos and Duterte camps, they have empty messages, bankrupt.]

Fellow labor leaders and senatorial candidates Sonny Matula, Federation of Free Workers president, and lawyer Ernesto Arellano of National Confederation of Labor were also present during the sortie.

“Dahil walang boses ang manggagawa sa Senado pumasa na zero subsidy ang PhilHealth (Phillipine Health Insurance Corp.),” Matula said during the event. “Kung nandun siguro ang representante ng manggagawa sa Senado, hindi na-transfer ‘yong P60 billion na budget ng PhilHealth mula PhilHealth papuntang national treasury.”

[Translation: The PhilHealth had a zero subsidy this year because workers have no voice in the Senate. If we only have had a representative in the Senate, the P60 billion in PhilHealth funds would not have been transferred to the national treasury.]

De Guzman told their supporters to vote for other senatorial candidates that are part of the workforce, or the poor, to have a “gobyerno ng masa hindi gobyerno ng elitista (a government for the masses not a government for the elite).”

He said there are ongoing efforts to campaign with candidates with the same advocacies and platforms.

“Pero kung hindi man maganap ang isang malaking pagkakaisa, nagkakaisa kami lahat laban sa dynastiya, laban sa kontraktualisasyon, laban sa trapong politika at laban sa pagsasamantala ng iilan sa ating sambayanan,” he told reporters.

[Translation: If a united opposition will not materialize, we still are united in dismantling political dynasties and opposing contractualization, traditional politics, and the exploitation of our countrymen.]