Set to challenge incumbents amid Senate probe on drug and labor killings, pol dynasties
Five prominent labor leaders are preparing to challenge incumbent senators seeking reelection, as well as senatorial candidates from political dynasties, in the 2025 senatorial elections.
The five labor leaders—Jerome Adonis, Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU); Atty. Ernesto Arellano, National Confederation of Labor (NCL); Leody de Guzman and Atty. Luke Espiritu, Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino (BMP); and Atty. Sonny Matula, Federation of Free Workers (FFW)—are in talks to unite on a pro-worker platform during their Senate runs.
The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) has included these labor leaders in its initial list of 66 senatorial aspirants for 2025, with their platforms focused on national wage increases, job security, ending ‘endo’ (end of contract schemes) and strengthening freedom of association and protection of workers who organize unions.
They are also pushing for “accountability in connection with 72 labor leaders and organizers killed since 2016; 68 of which occurred during the Duterte administration and four under the current Marcos administration.”
SENATE PROBE
FFW president and Workers’ and Peasants’ Party (WPP) senatorial candidate Sonny Matula said they (labor leaders) recognized the importance of a proposed senate probe on drug-related killings.
Senate President Francis Escudero had earlier announced that the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee will lead the Senate investigation on the drug war and related killings during the administration of former President Rodrigo Duterte.
Escudero likewise acknowledged the right of Senators Christopher “Bong” Go and Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa to defend themselves in the proposed Senate investigation.
FFW president and Workers’ and Peasants’ Party (WPP) senatorial candidate Sonny Matula said, however, that while Senators Dela Rosa and Go “should be given the opportunity to defend themselves in a Senate investigation, they should waive their rights to interpellate and question other witnesses on the matter, out of delicadeza and to avoid conflict of interest that would undermine the Senate as an institution.”
The labor leader-senatorial aspirants likewise strongly suggested that the Senate probe cover not only drug-related killings but also the targeted killings of labor leaders and organizers.
LABOR REPRESENTATION
Matula also urged Congress to prioritize key legislation, such as the ₱150 wage hike bill and measures to end abusive contractualization, both of which remain pending in Congress.
“This election is a pivotal moment for labor representation in the Senate as well as in the House, and it is essential that while we investigate past abuses, we also advance legislation that will safeguard workers’ rights and improve their lives,” he added.
The labor leaders emphasized that “Kapag regular ang trabaho, dapat regular din ang empleyado [when the work is regular, the workers should also be regularized],” stressing that ‘endo’ and the use of manpower agencies in regular jobs should be prohibited. They called on the Senate to support stronger measures against abusive contractualization and to prioritize the passage of security of tenure laws.
In addition to contractual workers, the labor leaders highlighted the case of contract of service and job order workers at the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR).
According to a recent Supreme Court ruling, these workers are not considered government employees under the jurisdiction of the Civil Service Commission (CSC). The ruling stemmed from a complaint by PAGCOR workers whose contracts were not renewed.
The case highlights the urgent need to protect workers in similar arrangements across both private and government sectors, the labor leaders urged.
