FILE PHOTO: Bayan Muna chairperson and senatorial aspirant Neri Colmenares. SENATE FILE
MANILA, Philippines — Bayan Muna chairperson and progressive lawyer Neri Colmenares is the latest addition to the 2022 senatorial slate of opposition coalition 1Sambayan, the group announced in a briefing on Friday.
During a program live streamed on Facebook, 1Sambayan lead convener and former senior associate justice Antonio Carpio made the announcement, vowing to add more to the list in the following weeks.
“We’ll add to this initial list of eight, as we receive the public declarations of support to the Leni-Kiko ticket from the other senatorial candidates who would then be included in our list,” Carpio said.
“We in the 1Sambayan pledge to campaign with all our might for all our candidates. We see the May 2022 elections as the battle for the soul of the nation, a battle to prevent the return of those who benefitted from dictatorship, plunder, and cronyism, at the expense of the long-suffering Filipino people,” he added.
Colmenares joins the other senatorial aspirants that were endorsed by 1Sambayan early January 2022, namely:
- Former Ifugao Rep. Teddy Baguilat
- Human rights lawyer Chel Diokno
- Senator Risa Hontiveros
- Author Alex Lacson
- Senator Leila de Lima
- Labor leader Sonny Matula
- Former senator Antonio Trillanes
During the same program, Colmenares announced that he and Makabayan Coalition are now backing the candidacy of Vice President Leni Robredo and Senator Francis Pangilinan.
READ: Neri, Makabayan end speculations, endorse Robredo, Pangilinan for 2022 polls
1Sambayan’s inclusion of Colmenares, and the decision of the Makabayan to support Robredo and Pangilinan have ended months-long speculation about whom the coalition would support, given that Colmenares was not included in the Vice President’s slate which she released in October last year.
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