Photo edited: by Nami Padilla
This year’s May has been a special month, having Labor Day and national elections coinciding as they are pretty near to each other.
On May 9th, we had seen different candidates that are fresh to our sight, especially those who value the labor force, as they attempted to enter politics to provide a support system for workers.
As we celebrated Labor Day this May 1, we look back to the people who have been serving our society with their bare hands.
These so-called ‘heroes’ are mostly underappreciated. As we give them the spotlight they deserve, here are some labor leaders who challenged the system and ran in the 2022 national elections.
Luke Espiritu
If you have watched one of the SMNI’s senatorial debates, you probably heard of the name “Luke Espiritu”— known for roasting two of his co-candidates on the show.
Behind his strong personality lies a soft person for the oppressed, as he is a human rights activist, climate justice seeker, and labor lawyer.
Indeed, Espiritu has proven his dedication to serving the marginalized sector. He was a former national president of the Solidarity of Unions in the Philippines for empowerment and Reforms Federation and is currently a labor organizer of the Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino.
Espiritu ran his first senate race under Partido Lakas ng Masa. He was a firm anti-capitalist and an advocate of an inclusive system and fair living for all workers.
Sonny Matula
Another TOTGA candidate for Filipinos is Sonny Matula, an educator, lawyer, and labor advocate.
Qualification-wise, his credentials speak a lot. He is the president of the Federation of Free Workers, and chairperson of the Nagkaisa Labor Coalition, the biggest labor coalition in the country
Matula ran as a senator under the Leni-Kiko slate. His campaigns were to defend and promote democratic human and trade union rights, such as banning contractualization schemes and implementing a national minimum wage.
He also vowed to strengthen the public sector and focus on the speedy completion of agrarian reform, including sustainable agricultural sectors.
Leody de Guzman
One of the biggest risks he took was running for the highest seat of power in the last May 2022 elections.
Leody de Guzman is an activist and a labor leader who published policies to secure and support the rights and welfare of workers since 1984. Currently, he is the chairperson of the Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino, a socialist labor group.
In 2019, he ran for a senatorial post under the tagline “Manggagawa Naman”, but unfortunately, he failed to secure a seat.
De Guzman running for the presidency this year was a game-changer. He ran under the same party as Luke Espiritu as they share the same sentiments in fighting capitalism.
His main goal was to have a podium for neglected workers. He deeply campaigned for the rights and privileges of people below the poverty line, as he swore to confront the rich’s interests by increasing their taxes.
Through the years, the election has always been dominated by known candidates. But this May is indeed for the laborers who have proven that they are the standard, whose goal is to be allies to ordinary people.
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