The genuine opposition always has the people’s interests in mind. Groups claiming to be the opposition merely use the populist or popular term to attract public support, according to leaders of the Kabataan Party-list (KPL).
“Those who would like to purport themselves to be opposition pero hindi naman truly nagre-represent and magle-legislate or mag-i-implement ng policies for the benefit of the people ay hindi opposition,” said lawyer Renee Co, KPL’s first nominee and a former student regent at the University of the Philippines (UP).
(Those who would like to purport themselves to be opposition but do not truly represent and legislate or implement policies for the benefit of the people are not the opposition.)
The youth representative group, while performing the task of scrutinizing issues and its impact on the public, has been careful not to brand itself as a political opposition.
“Hindi nga namin sobrang bina-brand na opposition kami but rather, we’re just doing our job na mamayanan ‘yung interest na hinahawakan namin.” (We don’t really brand ourselves as the opposition, but rather, we’re just doing our job of serving the people’s interests.)
Incumbent KPL Rep. Raoul Manuel said the ‘opposition’ label should not be used out of convenience, referring to those who claim Vice President Sara Duterte as the “leader of the opposition.”
Dutertes’ allies have touted her as the opposition leader following her resignation as Education secretary and vice chair of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) last June, formalizing the split of the UniTeam tandem with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
KPL has been a staunch critic of the Marcos-Duterte tandem and has opposed priority bills such as the Maharlika Investment Fund in the House of Representatives. As a member of the minority, Manuel has called for a P615.4 billion increase in the budget of the education sector and substantial reduction in the proposed P7.8 billion allocation for NTF-ELCAC in 2025, citing its ‘low utilization‘ rate and “zero accomplishment” for the Barangay Development Program in the current year.
Alliances and the united opposition
In a Sept. 29 BusinessWorld report, former senator Leila De Lima was quoted as saying that the Liberal Party is open to an alliance with the Makabayan bloc and Laban ng Masa.
The Makabayan bloc is a coalition of progressive parties that includes Bayan Muna, Anakpawis, Gabriela, ACT Teachers and KPL. Laban ng Masa is a coalition formed in 2022 that supported the Partido Lakas ng Masa slate and endorsed the candidacy of now Sen. Risa Hontiveros and lawyer Chel Diokno for the Senate.
Manuel was amenable to De Lima’s proposal, saying that forms of cooperation are possible across political groups, especially those who are not aligned with either Marcos or Duterte.
The party’s primary goal, Co added, is to prevent a comeback of the Marcos and Duterte factions inside the spaces for legislative representation.
How does the party plan to manage its goals as it collaborates with other groups?
For Manuel, collaborating with other groups lies in discussions with tact and timing. “Ang gusto din naming mapaunawa–kahit sa sarili din naming members–na habang meron tayong mga pinanghahawakang pagtingin sa mga issues, there’s always a proper time and proper way to address things,” he said.
(What we want people to understand—even among our members—is while we have our own views on certain issues, there’s always a proper time and proper way to address things.)
“We don’t compromise on our stances pero, at the same time, we also think long term,” the lawmaker said, adding that the sharpest blows should be directed at Marcos, Duterte and those in power.
When it comes to shifting alliances in the opposition, Co said she believes discourse is inevitable, citing it as a process for parties to convince one or the other.
“Discourse proliferates and has to so that ‘yung mga tambalan ng pagtingin ay lumabas at lumitaw ‘yung dapat na campaign and ‘yung dapat na linya na bitbit nating lahat.”
(Discourse proliferates and has to so that different perspectives can lead to a collective campaign and goal.)
Aiming for 3 seats
KPL announced its nominees for the 2025 elections last Sept. 26 during the Kabataan national convention, where they debuted their 10-Point Youth Agenda and called for the resignation of Vice President Duterte.
The party fielded 10 nominees, with Jose Paolo Echavez, former president of the student government at Silliman University in Dumaguete City, and John Peter Angelo Garcia, chairperson of the Youth Advocates for Peace with Justice-UP Los Baños, as the second and third nominees, respectively.
To avoid a similar fiasco in the last election on the substitution of nominees, the Commission on Elections had issued Resolution No. 11045, requiring party-list groups to submit 10 nominees each.
Formed through consultations with the youth, KPL’s agenda champions free, accessible and quality education; livable wages; genuine agrarian reform; mental health; justice and accountability; among others. It aims to get enough votes to have the maximum three seats at the House of Representatives. It garnered more than 500,000 votes in the 2022 election, an all-time high for the party.
KPL has held a seat in the House since 2007.
The KPL nominees filed their certificates of nomination- certificates of acceptance of nomination at the Manila Hotel Tent City last Saturday, Oct. 5. — with reports from Kiara Ysabel Gorrospe
