FILE PHOTO: The Akbayan Party announces that human rights lawyer Chel Diokno will be its first nominee for the 2025 midterm elections. Photo from the Facebook page of Chel Diokno
MANILA, Philippines — The Akbayan Party announced on Saturday that human rights lawyer Chel Diokno will be its first nominee for next year’s midterm elections.
Diokno said that before accepting the party’s nomination, they deliberated on the best avenue to serve the public.
The 2025 polls will be Akbayan’s repeated bid to again represent the marginalized sector in Congress.
“From the beginning, we carefully examined all possible avenues to best serve our people. After thorough reflection, we determined that running under the party-list system is not only a principled choice but also the most pragmatic path to effectively confront the forces of corruption and injustice,” Diokno said in a statement.
Diokno, who previously bared his intent to run as a senator in the midterm elections, noted that he and Akbayan will still rally behind former senators Bam Aquino and Kiko Pangilinan in securing their seats in the Senate.
READ: Chel Diokno now officially a member of Akbayan Party
“Akbayan remains steadfast in backing Senators Bam Aquino and Kiko Pangilinan. We fully support Senator Risa Hontiveros’ two Senate candidates, and as we campaign for them, we will also work to secure at least three seats for the party,” Diokno added.
Diokno recently joined the political party, sharing that it is a way to continue the “Diokno legacy” and to advance the fight for human rights.
Akbayan Party also announced on Saturday that Perci Cendaña will serve as its second nominee in the 2025 polls. Cendaña, who served as a commissioner of the National Youth Commission from 2011 to 2016, was Akbayan’s first nominee in the 2022 elections.
Cendaña was sworn into office on Wednesday, September 25, following the recent Commission on Elections’ proclamation on Akbayan as one of the winners in the party-list race in the 2022 polls. His term will end on June 30, 2025.
READ: Akbayan proclaimed winner in 2022 party-list polls
The group returned to the House of Representatives after the Supreme Court upheld the Comelec’s decision to cancel the registration of An Waray as a party-list organization after its second nominee took an oath in the 16th Congress despite being entitled to only one seat.
Akbayan ranked 57th in the party-list race of the 2022 elections, just one spot shy from the 56 groups proclaimed as winners.