October 7, 2024 | 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines — More party-list groups have filed their certificates of nomination and acceptance (CONAs) for the May 2025 midterm elections.
Organizations that would be fielding candidates and filed their CONAs yesterday at the Manila Hotel Tent City were Komunidad ng Pamilya, Pasyente at Person with Disability (P3PWD), ACT Teachers party-list, Epanaw Sambayanan, Pinoy Workers party-list, Abante Pangasinan Ilocano, Unyon ng Mga Gabay ng Bayan, Katipunan ng Kamalayang Kayumanggi, EduAksyon Sectoral, SSS-GSIS Pensyonado, Pusong Pinoy, Rebolusyonaryong Alyansang Makabansa, Tulong Ipamahagi sa Comunidad Tungo sa Kaunlaran (TicTok) and Ako Padayon Pilipino Partylist.
Former Commission on Elections (Comelec) commissioner Rowena Guanzon, the first nominee of P3PWD, entered the venue in a wheelchair to file her CONA.
“Basically, we want to push for a five-percent share of PWDs in the total budget of all local government units and national agencies including government-owned and controlled corporations (GOCCs) similar to the gender and development fund,” Guanzon said.
She added that they would also push for the social pension of the PWDs.
“Another (issue that we will be working on) is the monthly pension of PWDs from the national government and from local government units that are first class and second class. This should be required also in addition to the national government’s monthly social pension to PWDs, especially those that are homebound, such as stroke survivors, and those who have cerebral palsy,” Guanzon said.
Their group will also push for an increase in budget of the special education (SPED), according to the former Comelec commissioner.
“Teachers and parents are always complaining that there are not enough teachers in SPED, and I’d like to call the attention of the secretary of budget that the plantilla item for this should come from the Department of Budget and Management for the Department of Education,” she said, adding that teaching assistants for SPED should also be increased.
P3PWD also would like to work on issues that are of national interest, according to Guanzon.
“One is the Full Disclosure Bill similar to what (former) vice president Leni (Robredo) filed before, the other is the Anti-Epal Bill … by my principal (the late former senator) Miriam Defensor-Santiago, and the Anti-Racketeering or RICO Law which we don’t have yet, although we have the Anti-Money Laundering Act,” she said.
Further, she said that what she wants to fight for is the equality law for all.
“PWDs suffer from discrimination not only in the society, but also in employment, everything. The LGBTQIA people also suffer from discrimination… A lot of our indigenous people are also discriminated because they look different from us. Many of them remain poor because their lands were grabbed,” Guanzon, who also served as mayor of Cadiz City, said.
At over 30 minutes, Guanzon is the only candidate to have so far exceeded the Comelec’s allotted time for a speech and interview during the filing.
Each candidate/group is given only a maximum of 10 minutes.
Epanaw Sambayanan was represented yesterday by one of its nominees, former National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict spokesperson Lorraine Badoy.
“Part of our advocacy is to protect our indigenous brothers and sisters of the exploitation of being targeted by the CPP-NPA-NDF,” Badoy said.
She also expressed hope that their group will become part of a government that cares for indigenous peoples.
The ACT Teachers Partylist was represented by Antonio Tino.
“In more than 10 years of being in Congress, the ACT Teachers Partylist has been at the forefront in pushing for the (increase in) salary, benefits and rights of the teachers and employees as well as budget for education and services and the welfare of the general public,” Tinio said.
At a press briefing, Comelec Chairman George Garcia advised that with two days remaining for the filing of CONAs, nominees of party-list groups should first send their lawyers inside the venue while they are engaged in activities outside.
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