Daven Tamayo

Makabayan Senate slate kicks off house-to-house campaign

Article (news)

Vivienne Gulla

ABS-CBN News

Makabayan Coalition’s Senate slate kicked off the campaign period on Tuesday with a send-off rally at the Kartilya ng Katipunan in Manila, then went on to do house-to house visits in parts of the country, offering themselves as alternative to members of political dynasties.They admitted that their campaign funds are no match to traditional politicians’, but they remain optimistic that there is still time to reach out to voters on the ground, introduce their advocacies through house-to-house campaign, and raise their ranking from the latest survey.Based on the January 18 to 25, 2025 Pulse Asia Senatorial Preferences Survey, none of Makabayan’s Senate bets made it to the Top 12.Among the 11, ACT Teachers Party List France Castro ranked highest at 28th to 47th, with 1.9% of respondents saying they would vote for her.  “Wala man kaming bilyun-bilyon o milyun-milyon na pondo, makikita naman natin ‘yung suporta ng iba’t ibang sektor sa amin ng ating bansa. Kaya talagang kakayod kami sa loob ng 90 days na campaign period at babaligtarin natin ang survey. Alam ko mulat na ‘yung mamamayang botante sa ngayon… Dapat ay baguhin na natin… ayaw na natin ng political dynasty, ayaw na natin ng mga may pansariling interes, business interest. Iforward naman natin ang programa ng taumbayan,” Castro said.“Hindi po tayo titigil. Kasi mayroon namang 90 days. So araw-araw nating pataasin ang mga surveys… ‘Yung sinasabing ground campaigning, ‘yun talaga ‘yung mahalaga para sa amin. Kasi sabi nga natin, wala tayong bilyon para sa advertisements. Ang lalaki ng mga billboards ng iba. Magkano ang ginastos diyan? Hindi po yun kaya ng Makabayan sa ngayon. Tayo po nagbabank on sa mass movement. Baguhin na natin ‘yung nasa Senado. Kasi ‘yung nasa Senado politics &#x27;yan ng mukha, personality na hindi naman natin kailangan,” Gabriela Party List Representative Arlene Brosas added.Castro visited the schools where she studied, beginning with the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila and the Philippine Normal University.Brosas distributed flowers and leaflets containing the laws she helped author in her house-to-house visit in Barangay Commonwealth, Quezon City. At one stop, she and members of the Gabriela Women’s party performed a dance number.Farmer leader Danilo Ramos rode a carabao through rice fields in Malolos, Bulacan.“Magsasaka, itanim sa Senado, palakasin ang local na produksyon ng pagkain, hindi importasyon,” he urged voters.Teddy Casino, Mimi Doringo campaigned in Quezon City, while Liza Maza and Amirah Lidasan campaigned in Cagayan de Oro.Transport leader Mody Floranda joined a mini-motorcade of a local tricycle group in Sampaloc, Manila, as labor leader Jerome Adonis, fisherfolk leader Ronnel Arambulo, and nurse leader Alyn Andamo campaigned in Manila.In an interview with three residents in Quezon City where Brosas campaigned, all of them said they are unfamiliar with many of the Makabayan coalition’s Senate bets.But they are also open to checking their track record and voting for new names for senators, if their track record would show that they are against corruption, and will help address issues on the high prices of food and other commodities.“Mga bago kasi lahat sila eh… Titingnan ko, baka maganda ‘yung kanyang plataporma eh,” Erma Olleta, a resident of Quezon City said.“Papalitan ko na ‘yung mga dati kong binoto… Para mabago… Susubukan namin kung magaling siya,” senior citizen Emily Nieva said.<div>IMPEACHMENT</div>Should Makabayan’s Senate bets get elected in the May polls and become senator judges in the impeachment trial against Vice President Sara Duterte, many of them said they will vote for her conviction, citing their stand against corruption.Two of the 11-member slate were endorsers, and the rest are complainants in the second impeachment complaint against Duterte, which cited “betrayal of public trust” as the lone ground, and three issues connected with the alleged misuse of confidential funds by the offices led by the VP.“Asahan ng taumbayan na titindig pa rin ang Makabayan laban sa korapsiyon at boboto para sa impeachment conviction ni Sara Duterte,” Castro said.“Kita natin kung paano nilustay ang pondo ng bayan na dapat sana ay nagamit sa daang libong pasyenteng nangangailangan ng gamot at serbisyo,” Andamo added.“Kulang na kulang talaga ang nailalaan na budget para doon sa sektor ng mga mangingisda, habang may ganitong mga anomalyang nagaganap sa pamahalaan… Kung gusto natin talagang magtuloy-tuloy ‘yung impeachment case, kinakailangan ay ating suportahan at tiyakin na ang maiupo sa darating na halalaan ay yung tiyak na lumalaban sa korupsyon,” Arambulo said.They issued the statement after Senate President Francis Escudero said the impeachment trial will possibly start after the President’s State of the Nation Address in July.But for Brosas, the Senate should soon begin the trial, saying holding public officials accountable should not wait.

Makabayan Coalition’s Senate slate kicked off the campaign period on Tuesday with a send-off rally at the Kartilya ng Katipunan in Manila.

Makabayan Coalition’s Senate slate kicked off the campaign period on Tuesday with a send-off rally at the Kartilya ng Katipunan in Manila.