Labor leaders vowed to assist Vice President Leonor “Leni” Robredo in her presidential bid in the 2022 elections but also said they hope Federation of Free Workers (FFW) president Sonny Matula could be included in her senatorial slate.
In an online press briefing last Tuesday, convenors of the Alliance of Labor Leaders for Leni (ALL4Leni) said Robredo has yet to grant its request to include Matula in her senatorial line up.
“Ka Sonny Matula is a known champion of the agenda of workers and has a strong commitment against dictatorship and authoritarianism in the country,” ALL4Leni said in a statement.
Matula together with Bayan Muna party representative Neri Colmenares are among the senatorial aspirants, who are being considered by Robredo’s camp to complete its senatorial ticket, which are mostly composed of incumbent and former politicians.
Robredo’s senatorial candidates include former Ifugao representative Teodoro “Teddy” Baguilat; former vice president Jejomar Binay, Alex Lacson, veteran human rights lawyer Jose “Chel” Diokno as well as former senators Francis “Chiz” Escudero and Antonio Trillanes IV
It also includes incumbent senators Leila De Lima, Richard Gordon, Risa Hontiveros-Baraquel, Juan Miguel Zubiri, and Joel Villanueva.
ALL4Leni it is ready to help campaign and raise funds for Robredo even if she chooses not to include Matula in her senatorial candidates.
“We currently have 350,000 members and if we add their families that will be around 2 million [people] who are networking, campaigning, and raising electoral funds for Leni,” Sentro ng Nagkakaisa at Progresibong Manggagawa (Sentro) Deputy Secretary General and All4Leni member Nice Coronacion said.
She noted in Sentro, they are urging their members to donate at least a day of their salary to Robredo’s cause.
Similar calls for voluntary contributions are also being done by labor groups across different sectors including the National Union of Bank Employees (NUBE-) as well as National Congress of Unions in the Sugar Industry (NACUSIP).
Coronacion said they hope all of their members as well as their families will vote for Robredo come the May 2022 polls.
All4Leni said its backing the candidacy of Robredo after she declared she will support the agenda being pushed by the labor sector, which includes ending contractualization; implementation of a national minimum wage; removal of hindrances to freedom of association; and employment guarantee.
Image courtesy of Nonoy Lacza