By DOMINIC GUTOMAN
Bulatlat.com
MANILA – The Makabayan bloc is set to field 12 senatorial candidates in the 2025 midterm elections, for the first time in the coalition’s history.
In a press conference on July 11, Makabayan emphasized that they stand as the genuine opposition against the once unified clique of Marcos-Duterte.
The progressive lawmakers underscored the need to mark the line between “traditional opposition and the genuine opposition.”
They said that the traditional opposition consisted of political figures in the traditional politics, who wanted to go against the current Marcos administration, for the survival of their “selfish interests.”
“The Dutertes are not a genuine opposition. The Dutertes do not have the ascendancy to talk about human rights, when thousands were killed under [Rodrigo] Duterte’s administration. They are also hypocrites to stand against Charter Change because they were the ones pushing it during their term,” said former Bayan Muna Rep. Neri Javier Colmenares, co-chairperson of the Makabayan bloc, in Filipino.
Colmenares was reacting to the statement of former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque who called Vice President Sara Duterte as the new leader of the opposition, following the latter’s resignation as the Education Secretary and as vice chairperson of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC).
“In essence, the Marcoses and Dutertes are the same, driven only by personal interests. They have no concern for the ordinary people who suffer daily. Their goal is to remain in power indefinitely,” said former Bayan Muna Rep. Satur Ocampo, who is also the president of Makabayan bloc, in Filipino.
As of today, the only candidate that the Makabayan bloc identified is ACT Teachers Partylist Rep. Francis Castro. She announced her intention to run on the 42nd anniversary of the partylist.
The coalition said that the process of deliberation is now ongoing and the bloc is still accepting nominations.
The coalition said it might consider tying up with other prospective candidates for the opposition, as long as they genuinely represent the people’s interest. Among those named by journalists are Sen. Francis Pangilinan, Atty. Chel Diokno, and Bam Aquino.
“Our primary consideration is whether they can present a comprehensive platform that would respond to the interest of the people. The track record of Makabayan shows consistent representation in the fight for decent wage, genuine land reform, and national sovereignty,” said former ACT Teachers Rep. Antonio Tinio, executive vice president of Makabayan bloc.
Amid the growing geopolitical tensions
Makabayan also sees the rising geopolitical tensions to be an important issue in the upcoming elections. It has been eight years since the arbitral tribunal ruled largely in favor of the Philippines, which concluded that China’s “nine-dash line” claim in the South China Sea was invalid. However, China rejected the ruling and until now, the tension has not yet deescalated.
“We are persistently pushing for joint patrols with other ASEAN countries who are experiencing aggression from China (e.g. Malaysia, Vietnam),” said Colmenares.
He emphasized that it should be followed by the joint resolution of the ASEAN countries in the United Nations General Assembly, urging the complete demilitarization of the South China Sea, and moving forward with a peaceful resolution.
“We are against the encroachment and the violence of China against the fisherfolks. However, we are also against the warmongering of the United States. We do not want Filipinos to suffer in this war. We see to it that resolving border conflicts should be done in a peaceful manner,” said Liza Maza, the bloc’s co-chairperson.
Election hindrances
The bloc also recognizes that the situation in the Philippine elections may not be favorable for them. They mentioned the widespread red-tagging, election-related violence, vote-buying, and even possible fraud.
“We are fully aware of the situation and we are prepared for the attacks that may be directed against us. That is why we are appealing to the people to join the movement that calls for clean and honest elections. We should all watch this election, report all sorts of election fraud and violence, and be critical of the issues,” said Maza.
“In reality, we know that the electoral system is corrupt, costly, and fraudulent. Opposition is always disadvantaged. Our resources are limited,” said Colmenares.
Makabayan is also set to continuously monitor and expose the questionable track record of Miru Systems, a South Korean technology company that will replace the Smartmatic Corporation as the election provider in the 2025 midterm elections.
Concerns over hacking vulnerabilities and vote manipulation were cited in Miru’s technology, according to the election watchdog Democracy Watch Philippines.
The watchdog also said that the significant failures of the provider is the malfunctioning of 70 percent voting stations on the first day of elections in Iraq, forcing authorities to manually count the ballots. While in Congo, over 45 percent of Miru’s machines were also flagged for breakdowns and technical errors, prompting anomalies among voters.
Makabayan bloc through Kabataan Partylist Rep. Raoul Danniel A. Manuel, ACT Teachers Partylist Rep. France L. Castro, and Gabriela Women’s Party Rep. Arlene D. Brosas filed House Resolution No. 1656, to immediately investigate the controversies surrounding the Miru Systems. (RVO) 
