Federation of Free Workers (FFW) President Sonny Matula said on Monday, March 10, that he sees no competition among fellow labor rights advocates vying for a Senate seat, as they all share a common agenda ahead of the May 2025 midterm elections.
“‘Yung understanding namin, basta common ‘yung aming agenda, maski hindi kami madadala ni [Adonis], okay lang… sapagkat napaka-importante kasi ng issue ng manggagawa na ma-popularize at ma-address ng gobyerno,” Matula said at a press conference in Quezon City.
“Meron kaming pagtutulungan.”
Matula referred to Jerome Adonis of Kilusang Mayo Uno, a labor advocate running under the Makabayan coalition, which already boasts 11 senatorial candidates.
He explained that this makes it unlikely for him and the other three labor Senate hopefuls to be included in Adonis’ “Magic 12,” given that Adonis will likely prioritize the members on his own slate.
Other labor rights advocates running for the legislature include Leody de Guzman and Atty. Luke Espiritu, both from Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino, and Atty. Ernesto Arellano from the National Confederation of Labor.
Since they are fighting for the same cause, Matula noted that some have referred to them as the “Voltes V.”
Matula made these remarks when asked about his response to concerns from some voters, who feel that while it’s important to fill all 12 Senate seats, they might opt to select one representative from each sector.
“Sabi namin, dapat ang isyu ng mga manggagawa ay ma-highlight at maging sentro ng pag-uusap sa eleksyon,” Matula said.
In an interview with Manila Times-DZRH’s election series, Matula, Espiritu, and Adonis all emphasized their shared goal of advocating for decent wages for labor workers.
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