MANILA, Philippines – The 1Sambayan opposition coalition on Saturday, January 25, announced its endorsement of eight senatorial and seven party-list candidates for the May 12 elections.
The opposition coalition announced its support for the candidacies of the following Senate bets:
- Former senator Bam Aquino
- ACT Teachers Representative France Castro
- Labor leader Luke Espiritu
- Labor leader Sonny Matula
- Former Commission on Audit commissioner Heidi Mendoza
- Dr. Willie Ong
- Former senator Kiko Pangilinan
- Retired colonel Ariel Querubin
For the party-list bets, 1Sambayan endorsed the following:
- ACT Teachers
- Akbayan
- Bayan Muna
- Bunyog Pagkakaisa
- Kabataan
- Mamamayang Liberal (ML)
- Magdalo
1Sambayan convenor Howard Calleja also listed down the the lineup in a Facebook post.
Calleja said that the candidates were chosen based on their “strong conviction” in relation to the West Philippine Sea issue, good governance, transparency and accountability, and efforts to end political dynasties.
Asked what the endorsement would entail, Calleja said that their volunteers would actively campaign for the candidates, including house-to-house campaigns, among other actions intended to prop up voter awareness of their bets.
In response to the endorsement, Akbayan said: “Akbayan Partylist, together with Akbayan Rep. Perci Cendaña and Akbayan 1st nominee Atty. Chel Diokno, proudly shares 1Sambayan’s unwavering commitment to justice and accountability, uniting us in our hope to drive transformative impact in the next elections. Their support further pushes us to champion progressive national policies and reforms to better the lives of the Filipino people.” – with reports from Bea Cupin and Jairo Bolledo/Rappler.com