CEBU, Philippines - A Cebuano lawyer filed his certificate of candidacy before the Commission on Elections in Manila yesterday as one of the nominees for Sanlakas Partylist representative.
Lawyer Aaron Pedrosa, who is currently the secretary-general of Sanlakas and the second nominee of the partylist, will run under a platform of “social progress with social justice.”
The Sanlakas Partylist said their five nominees are the alternative candidates to the traditional politicians of the elite. Sonny Melencio, chairman of the Partido Lakas ng Masa, urged voters to once and for all denounce elitist politics and traditional political dynasties which, according to him, forced the masses settle for dole-outs and piece-meal reforms.
“The time has come for us to end the rule of the elite and elect true representatives of the people,” he said in a statement.
Aside from Pedrosa, Sanlakas partylist also fielded veteran labor leader and Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino chairperson Leody de Guzman as its first nominee; Roldan Gonzales of Ozamiz City, a long-time developmental worker as its third nominee; Ogie Zacate, a gender and climate justice advocate as its fourth nominee; and foreign policy expert Rasti Delizo as its fifth nominee.
Sanlakas said its brand of politics defies the traditional mode that “binds the poor to further misery, exploitation and alienation from politics.”
De Guzman said Sanlakas has consistently fought for the underprivileged masses, never compromising its principles no matter the political odds.
“We pledge to be worth every hard-earned peso taxed from wage-earners and informal workers. Rest assured, our nominees will fight for and remain genuine representatives of the masses,” De Guzman added.
The partylist coalition defines their platform as the concretization of the peoples’ aspirations, ranging from the broadening of their democratic rights, people-centered reform agenda and full reversal of the neo-liberal policies and programs which include the privatization of social services, deregulation of strategic industries, trade liberalization and the contractualization of labor. — Mitchelle L. Palaubsanon/JMD (FREEMAN)