Presidential aspirant and labor leader Leody de Guzman said he will continue to support senatorial candidates from the Makabayang Koalisyon ng Mamamayan who are supporting the candidacies of Vice President Leni Robredo and Sen. Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan.
De Guzman said he “respects dynamism and decision of the Makabayan party,” adding that “regardless of the outcome and practical considerations of their endorsement of another candidate, my support for the candidacy of Neri Colmenares and Bong Labog for the Senate remains.”
Earlier, former Bayan Muna Rep. Neri Colmenares said the Makabayan party is supporting the Leni-Kiko tandem.
Colmenares reportedly received backing from 1Sambayan, naming him as a candidate in its senatorial ticket.
In an ABS-CBN report, Makabayan was quoted in a statement saying that it “has similar approaches as the Robredo-Pangilinan tandem in addressing the COVID-19 pandemic, contractualization of employees, the franchise issue of ABS-CBN, and the Philippines’ sovereignty issue, among others.”
The group, composed of socio-civic party-lists including Bayan Muna, Gabriela, Anakpawis, ACT Teachers, and Kabataan, have fielded Colmenares and Labog for a chance to get a seat in the Senate, the ABS-CBN report said.
Colmenares and De Guzman in 2019 ran for the Senate, but failed to win under the Labor Win alliance.
The ABS-CBN report further said De Guzman had said he has no problem with the Makabayan’s move to support Leni and Kiko, but De Guzman’s running Walden Bello, called it “erroneous,” saying that the “lesser-evil strategy” may pave the way for the return of a Marcos and a Duterte to power.