Makabayan bets admit challenges in Davao campaign, optimistic with ‘warm welcome’ from some voters

Metro Manila, Philippines - Senatorial candidates under the progressive Makabayan coalition admitted preparing for the “worse” in wooing voters in Davao, the bailiwick of Dutertes, but said they were banking on the support from some residents who gave them a “warm welcome” during their campaigning this week.

Teddy Casiño, former Bayan Muna party-list representative, said his group had a huge following in Davao City in previous elections, but said they would have to bring back the “people’s movement” after the Duterte presidency.

“Pagbalik namin sa Davao is also an effort to revive our organizations na inatake nang husto under the Duterte presidency. Hanggang sa ngayon, nandiyan pa rin, it’s really a struggle now to translate that into votes. Kailangan natin ma-rebuild,” Casiño told local reporters on Saturday, Feb. 22.

[Translation: Coming back to Davao is also an effort to revive our organizations attacked during the Duterte presidency. It’s still a struggle now to translate that into votes. We have to rebuild.]

Bayan Muna party-list lost for the first time in the 2022 elections. This pressures them to secure a seat in the midterm elections to avoid disqualification from participating in succeeding polls. It is among the party-list groups allied with Makabayan.

The coalition is known to be supportive of Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment.

Bayan president and Makabayan campaign manager Renato Reyes Jr. said the impeachment is “a matter of principle for Makabayan and the endorsers and complainants will continue to push for this as a means of accountability.”

“The people in Davao, while aware of the impeachment process, are also interested in issues of high prices, low wages, social services, and alternatives to the bankrupt political system,” Reyes told NewsWatch Plus. “So we could see that the people were quite receptive to these issues.”

Seven of the 11 progressive candidates conducted house-to-house and sectoral visits on Friday.

Liza Maza, former Gabriela representative, said there were only 20 households that were organized under Makabayan and they had to roam around 400 houses in the community.

Maza, who had a two-year stint as former anti-poverty czar of the Duterte administration, said they were “surprised” that some of the families asked for campaign materials. “We were really expecting worse,” she said during the news conference.

“Ang ibig sabihin nito, basta nakadikit ka sa isyu talaga ng pinakamarami sa populasyon natin, lalawak ang suporta,” she also said of the “warm welcome.”

[Translation: This means that as long as you are connected with the issues of many, the support will widen.]

Incumbent Gabriel Rep. Arlene Brosas said they respect voters who told them during their campaign activities that they would only vote some of the bets under their slate or none at all. They also encountered debates with other locals.

“May mga ganun [We encountered such voters] and it’s their choice,” Brosas said, adding they believe they could continue to explain the issues and show them what they could do.

“Sana hindi sila malulong sa disinformation na nagaganap, fake news na ginagawa, nandito kami para ipaliwanag ‘yon sa inyo,” she said.

[Translation: We hope they will not fall to disinformation and fake news about us. We are here to explain.]

Makabayan culminated their two-day campaign in Davao City with an assembly on Saturday afternoon attended by around 1,500 members, according to Reyes.

The candidates present in the event were Casiño, Maza, Brosas, Moro leader Almirah Lidasan, nurse group leader Alyn Andamo, fisherfolk leader Ronnel Arambulo, and labor leader Jerome Adonis.

Other bets from Makabayan are ACT Teachers party-list Rep. France Castro, urban poor leader Mimi Doringo, transport group leader Mody Floranda, and farmers group leader Danilo Ramos.