MANILA, Philippines — A pro-democracy coalition was launched Thursday with the objective of presenting a more competent lineup of candidates for 2022 to challenge whoever will be anointed by President Rodrigo Duterte, whose administration was described by retired Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio as “incompetent.”
“This government is really incompetent. They’ve been tested and everybody’s saying kulelat sila. So, we have to offer a better alternative for people because we don’t want the same thing to happen again in the next six years.”
Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio during the launch of the 1Sambayan coalition
Aside from Carpio, other 1Sambayanan coalition includes retired Associate Justice Conchita Carpio-Morales, former Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert Del Rosario, former Education Secretary Armin Luistro, Jesuit priest Fr. Albert Alejo, retired Rear Admiral Rommel Ong, former Negros Occidental Governor Rafael ‘Lito’ Coscolluela, former Commission on Audit Commissioner Heidi Mendoza, former lawmaker Neri Colmenares, Atty. Howard Calleja, Partido ng Manggagawa’s Rene Magtubo and Ricky Xavier.
The convenors said that if the current government prioritized COVID-19 response, the country would’ve fared better, but instead “wasted precious time and resources with charter change, shutting down mass media, threatening businesses with the cancellation of franchises, threatening the academic freedom of universities, and terrorizing legitimate dissenters with surveillance and arrest.”
“The Filipino people deserve a better government. There are Filipino leaders who can do a much better job of running the government, reviving the economy, creating jobs for our people, and defending our territory and sovereign rights in the West Philippine Sea.”
SENIOR ASSOCIATE JUSTICE ANTONIO CARPIO
According to reports, the coalition will be selecting candidates for President, Vice-President, and Senators. The convenors said aspirants must have the following criteria:
- Clean track record: The aspirant must be of good moral character and without any history of corruption or malfeasance.
- Upright stand on key issues: The aspirant must be unequivocally opposed to extrajudicial killings, kowtowing to foreign powers, violation of the separation of powers, and other principles enshrined in the 1987 Constitution.
- Platforms: The aspirant must have solid, well-informed platforms for addressing the country’s problems, and a clear-cut plan for their implementation.
- Winnability: The aspirant must be fully ready and willing to run for office. Moreover, the aspirant must have recall among the voting population, the aptitude to campaign and engage with them, and the verve to compete with other candidates for the people’s votes.
The convenors said they will come up with their list at least two months before the start of the filing of Certificate of Candidacy on October 2020.