Bayan Muna seeks to regain House seats in midterm polls

Senate PRIB

The opposition Bayan Muna party-list is eyeing a return to the House of Representatives and will be fielding human rights lawyer Neri Colmenares, former House deputy minority leader Carlos Zarate and union leader Ferdinand Gaite as its nominees in the 2025 midterm elections.

Manobo activist and former lawmaker Eufemia Cullamat, and Kristina Conti, lawyer for victims of the drug war before the International Criminal Court, round up the group’s five nominees, Bayan Muna said in a press briefing on Thursday.

On the other hand, ACT Teachers—currently represented in Congress by Rep. France Castro — will be fielding former House Rep. Antonio Tinio while Gabriela Women will be led by Sarah Elago.

The three are part of the leftist Makabayan bloc, which is seeking to take advantage of the dissolution of the so-called “Uniteam” coalition led by President Marcos and Vice President Sara Duterte.

Bayan Muna served for 19 straight years in Congress, and was even the second most popular party list group in the 2007 elections when it was led by former lawmaker Satur Ocampo. It suffered its first election loss in 2022. Gabriela has served seven straight terms in the lower chamber compared with ACT Teachers’ five.

“Our commitment is a politics of change,” Ocampo said. “Under the regime of Marcos Jr., there is a real danger of further repression of the people.”

Colmenares said that the slate would support any impeachment moves against Vice President Sara Duterte, who has repeatedly refused to address issues regarding the alleged misuse of millions of pesos in confidential funds given to her office. “We are not choosy with seeking accountability from corrupt officials, and especially if there are serious grounds,” he said.

This was echoed by Bagong Alyansang Makabayan, which said it was “studying the possibility of filing” an impeachment complaint against Duterte when Congress resumes sessions in November.

“We understand that there are other groups drafting their own complaint. So there might even be multiple complaints, and definitely, we will need all the support that we can get, and if Bayan Muna will be part of that complaint, then that is good,” said Bayan chair Teddy Casino.