Rights lawyers Colmenares, Diokno try again for Senate
MANILA, Philippines — Human rights lawyers Neri Colmenares and Chel Diokno are once again eyeing seats in the Senate as they filed their certificates of candidacy on Thursday.
Both ran in the 2019 midterm polls, but lost in a race swept by allies of President Rodrigo Duterte.
Colmenares, who represented Bayan Muna party-list from 2009 to 2016, is the Makabayan coalition's candidate for the senatorial race. This is his third attempt for a seat in the upper chamber.
Addressing the media after filing his candidacy, Colmenares said he will push for free COVID-19 tests and medical assistance, strengthened contact tracing, and the elimination of labor contractualization.
The promise to end labor contractualization was among President Rodrigo Duterte's promises during the campaign for 2016 polls. This has remained unfulfilled.
As the chair of the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers, Colmenares also vowed to bring justice to victims of human rights violations during the Duterte administration and to go after corrupt government officials.
“My Senate run is an expression of hope and struggle as part of the people’s movement for social reforms,” he said.
Among the measures Colmenares authored at the House of Representatives is a law mandating telecommunication companies to send free alerts during disasters.
He placed 24th in the 2019 elections.
Judicial reforms
Diokno, who chairs the Free Legal Assistance Group, said he would push for judicial reforms.
"If given the chance to serve as a senator, I will work to make justice more attainable and strengthen alternatives to litigation in court," he said in Filipino.
He also vowed to strengthen the barangay justice system in the country.
Diokno is running under Katipunan ng Nagkaisang Pilipino in next year’s polls. He placed 21st when he first sought a Senate seat under the Liberal Party-led "Otso Diretso" slate.
The Liberal Party is still endorsing his bid.
He is the son of democracy and human rights icon Jose “Ka Pepe” Diokno, a senator who fought the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos.
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