Comelec accredits Señeres’ party-list group

BUTUAN CITY, Philippines – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has accredited the Filipino Family Party (FFP) as among the party-list groups in the country that can participate in next year’s election, Rep. Roy Señeres said here Sunday.

The FFP, which advocates an end to labor-only contracting among other concerns, will endorse his candidacy for president in the May 2016 elections, he added.

Señeres, who currently represents the Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) party-list group in the House, is also the FFP national chairman and a guest presidential candidate of the Partido ng Manggagawa at Magsasaka (PMM).

“With our new political party, me and my official lineup for vice president and for the Senate will now run under the banner (of FFP) in alliance with PMM,” he said.

The PMM coalesced with Lakas-NUCD in 1992 during the candidacy of then President Fidel Ramos and with Reporma Party in 1998, when former defense secretary Renato de Villa ran in the presidential race.

Señeres said he is happy with the FFP accreditation as he has never joined any traditional political party in the past. He added that ordinary people from all walks of life have expressed their support for his presidential bid.

He added that he would continue with his advocacy to stop labor contractualization, which affects many Filipino families in the country; and to help about 15 million OFWs in their varied concerns.

Some lumad leaders from the Higaonon and Manobo tribes also met Señeres to show their support.