Makabayan bloc lawmakers welcome KMU chief’s senatorial bid

Photo from Kilusang Mayo Uno/FACEBOOK

MANILA, Philippines — Members of the House of Representatives’ Makabayan bloc welcomed on Sunday the announcement of Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) Secretary General Jerome Adonis to run for senator in the upcoming 2025 elections.

ACT Teachers Partylist Rep. France Castro and Gabriela Party-list Rep. Arlene Brosas supported Adonis’ announcement, whom they said answered the call of the Makabayan Coalition for a “full slate of progressive candidates representing various sectors of Philippine society.”

READ: ACT Teachers party-list Rep. Castro to run for senator in 2025

“As a fellow Makabayan senatorial candidate, Jerome is indeed a welcome addition to our slate and would be a staunch voice of workers in the elections. His extensive experience as a labor leader and his deep understanding of workers’ issues make him an excellent candidate to represent the interests of the Filipino working class in the Senate,” Castro said.

“We welcome the announcement of Ka Jerome Adonis as a senatorial candidate. His candidacy represents a significant step towards genuine representation of workers and the common people in the halls of the Senate,” Brosas, on the other hand, said.

Castro highlighted the need for the upper chamber to have “genuine representatives of marginalized sectors.”

Voice of workers

“For too long, the Senate has been dominated by traditional politicians who are disconnected from the struggles of ordinary Filipinos. Jerome Adonis’ candidacy offers a chance to bring the voice of workers directly into the halls of power,” she pointed out.

According to the lawmaker, Adonis’ platform focuses on living wages, workers’ rights, and national industrialization, which she said are “crucial issues that need to be addressed if we are to achieve genuine progress and development for our country.”

Brosas echoed this, saying Adonis’ platform “focuses on living wages, workers’ rights, food security, new politics versus corrupt governance, and the defense of Philippine sovereignty against foreign aggression, [which] resonates deeply with the struggles of Filipino workers and other marginalized sectors.”

She also worked with Adonis to craft pro-worker legislation such as House Bill 7568 or the P750 across-the-board wage hike bill.

Both lawmakers called progressive and democratic forces to rally behind Adonis’ candidacy and ensure that the “voice of workers and the marginalized sectors will be heard in the 2025 polls.”

Castro and Brosas announced their senatorial bid last June 26 and July 16, respectively.