Senator Grace Poe and Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte. INQUIRER FILE PHOTOS
AFTER supporting the losing presidential bid of Sen. Grace Poe, the leftist Makabayan coalition is now offering its support to聽 presumptive President-elect Rodrigo Duterte.
The bloc of 11 progressive parties on Sunday announced its support for the election winner, calling his landslide victory a repudiation of the 鈥渆litist鈥� administration of President Aquino.
鈥淲e recognize such victory as an expression of popular outrage over and rejection of the regime of 鈥榙aang matuwid鈥櫬� and a cry for sweeping change in the elitist and anti-people system,鈥� Makabayan said.
鈥淲e are encouraged by his pro-people and pro-poor policy pronouncements on a number of issues,鈥� they said, citing Duterte鈥檚 call for the immediate resumption of peace talks with the National Democratic Front and the release of political prisoners.
The activist groups also lauded Duterte for his vow to put an end to labor contractualization, or the practice of keeping employees on short-term contracts to avoid having to pay the right wages and benefits, as well as to increase government support for farmers.
Makabayan pledged its support for Duterte鈥檚 programs prioritizing education, health, food aid and other essential services over big infrastructure projects 鈥渋n the light of the mass poverty and hunger.鈥�
The statement was signed by Makabayan president Satur Ocampo, and cochairs Liza Maza and Rafael Mariano, all prominent activists in the leftist movement.
The Makabayan bloc is composed of Bayan Muna, Anakpawis, Gabriela, Kabataan, Courage, Migrante, ACT-Teachers, Katribu, Akap Bata, Piston, Kalikasan and Aking Bikolnon.
The statement of support from the Makabayan bloc came聽 as the camp of Duterte moved to organize a ruling coalition in Congress in order to ensure support for the incoming president鈥檚 priorities and to thwart any attempts to impeach him.
聽Political realignments
The rival Liberal Party, which claims 110 members in the House, said it was premature of PDP-Laban to expect mass defections to Duterte鈥檚 party.
Political realignments in the coming weeks will determine how the fight for the leadership of Congress will take shape鈥�
and whether or not a Duterte ally clinches the powerful position of House Speaker.
The Makabayan bloc鈥檚 rally behind Duterte did not come without some snickering from the camp of Duterte.
Duterte鈥檚 spokesperson Peter Lavi帽a fired a shot at the left for criticizing Duterte鈥檚 economic agenda and for 鈥渕outhing their usual criticism of others but not聽 undertaking their own criticism, self-criticism.鈥�
Lavi帽a later told the Inquirer that his post was personal,聺 and not聽 the stand of the presumptive president-elect.
Lavi帽a was apparently still sore that the Makabayan bloc had supported Poe in the elections: 鈥淚n their desire to push one of their national officials to be senator,聽 they rush to a hasty decision鈥� Having made these mistakes, they聽 want to continue with their old ways of critiquing, critiquing, critiquing.聽 I am truly sorry for these leftist groups which will be left out in the聽 march of history with their dogma and belligerent styles and methods of聽 work.鈥�
He advised the leftists to 鈥渄ialogue with the incoming聽 government instead of mounting black propaganda.鈥�
One leftist leader who did support Duterte, communist party founder Jose Maria Sison, apparently tried to mediate.
聽Not black propaganda
The Netherlands-based communist leader, who was once Duterte鈥檚 university teacher in聽 Manila, commented that militant group Bayan was not engaging in black聽 propaganda when it criticized the proposed economic聽 agenda.
鈥淏ayan has its own political and organizational integrity and independence聽 and has the democratic right to express itself publicly on any matter that聽 is public like the eight-point economic agenda announced by聽 Mr. (Carlos) Dominguez. I do not think that Bayan is engaged in black propaganda. It聽 has made critical remarks but it also makes constructive proposals,鈥澛� Sison told the Inquirer.
He said聽 the National Democratic Front of the Philippines聽 is committed to聽 dialogue with the Duterte government. 鈥淣egotiations are needed precisely to聽 discuss and work out the agreements on the economic, social and political聽 reforms needed for the benefit of the people,鈥� Sison said.
Earlier, Bayan secretary general Renato Reyes said in a statement that the聽 proposed economic roadmap of the Duterte camp would worsen the conditions聽 of ordinary people, most especially in the marginalized sectors.
To pursue economic sovereignty and strengthen the domestic economy, he said,聽 Duterte should 鈥渁bandon all plans for economic Charter change and instead聽 review the business terms of big foreign mining companies, coal plants,聽 large plantations and other enterprises that plunder the national patrimony聽 and destroy the environment.鈥�