1Sambayan endorses Colmenares, Matula; Makabayan backs Leni-Kiko

The opposition group 1Sambayan on Friday announced its endorsement of the senatorial bids of labor leader Sonny Matula and human rights lawyer Neri Colmenares in Eleksyon 2022.

This developed as the Makabayan bloc, to which former Bayan Muna representative Colmenares belongs, declared its support for the campaign of Vice President Leni Robredo and her standard bearer Senator Francis Pangilinan.

Colmenares, current chair of Bayan Muna party-list, accepted the endorsement of the opposition coalition.

“Isang malaking karangalan sa akin na mapili bilang isa sa mga senatorial candidates ng 1Sambayan. Malugod ko pong tinatanggap ang karangalang ito. Hindi po kayo mabibigo. Sa inyong suporta, kayang-kaya at kakayanin ko pong maging tapat na boses ng karaniwang tao sa Senado,” Colmenares said.

“Ako ay nananalig na sa ating pinagkaisang lakas, tayo ay magtatagumpay laban sa tambalan ng kadiliman na nais ipagpatuloy ang tiraniya at baluktot na pamamahala sa ating bansa,” he added.

(I am confident that with our united strength, we will succeed against darkness that wants to perpetuate tyranny in our country.)

Colmenares said the Makabayan bloc supported the tandem of Robredo and Pangilinan.

“Sa ngalan ng aking partido, ang Makabayan Coalition, ang aming pag-endorso at malakas na suporta kay VP Leni Robredo bilang kandidato sa pagkapangulo ng Pilipinas at kay Senator Kiko Pangilinan bilang bise presidente,” Colmenares said.

(On behalf of my party, the Makabayan Coalition, our endorsement and strong support to VP Leni Robredo for presidential and Senator Kiko Pangilinan for vice president.)

“Ito ay sa batayan ng nagkakaisang pusisyon sa mga usapin kaugnay ng pandemic response; pag-angat ng kabuhayan ng mga manggagawa, magsasaka, maralita at katutubo; mga isyung pangkalikasan; pagtaguyod ng human rights at tunay na kapayapaan, at soberanya sa West PH Sea at buong kapuluan,” he added. 

(This is on the basis of a united position on issues related to the pandemic response; raising the livelihood of workers, peasants, the poor and indigenous people, environmental issues, promoting human rights and true peace, and sovereignty over the West PH Sea and the entire country.)

Matula, chairperson of Nagkaisa! Labor Coalition and president of the Federation of Free Workers (FFW), also accepted the endorsement and expressed gratitude for recognizing the labor sector.

“Ang inyong pagendorso ay nagpapakita na ang manggagawa ay isang napakaimportanteng sector sa darating na Mayo election,” Matula said.

A critic of the Duterte administration, Colmenares is also among several lawyers and law students behind the Manlaban sa EJK advocacy group. He also represents families of victims of extrajudicial killing in a complaint before the International Criminal Court.

If elected to the Senate, Matula vowed to push for safe places for workers.

1Sambayan is supporting the tandem of Vice President Leni Robredo and Senator Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan as its presidential bet and vice presidential candidate, respectively, for 2022 elections. —NB, GMA News