No broad opposition for 2025 polls but groups with same advocacies — think tank

A public policy think tank stated on Tuesday that while there is no broad united opposition for 2025 polls, there are groups and coalitions with the same advocacies.

During the first day of certificate of candidacy (COC) filing at the Manila Hotel, no senatorial bet nor party-list representative from the opposition made an appearance.

Akbayan Party earlier announced plans to field former senators Kiko Pangilinan and Bam Aquino as their senatorial hopefuls for a democratic opposition slate in the 2025 polls.

Pangilinan ran for vice president under the Liberal Party (LP) in 2022 as the running mate of former vice president Leni Robredo, who is now running for mayor of Naga City, Camarines Sur, but lost. Meanwhile, Aquino lost in the 2019 polls, placing 14th, missing the top 12.

InfraWatch Convenor Terry Ridon said that while there is no broad opposition coalition, there are still groups that are advocating for the same goal--such as the push to start the International Criminal Court's (ICC) trial against former President Rodrigo Duterte.

"Totoo na sa isang bahagi, wala talagang tinatawag na united opposition today, pero within the sum of the opposition forces, mayroon naman silang mga pinagkakaisang laban at mga usapin (It is true that in one part, there's not really a united opposition today but in the sum of the opposition forces, they have united battles and issues)," Ridon said to the DAILY TRIBUNE.

In 2023, a pre-trial chamber of the ICC authorized the court's prosecutor to resume investigation against crimes allegedly committed by Duterte between November 2011 to June 2016, including extrajudicial killings in Davao City.

"May kanya-kanya rin silang adbokasiyang isinusulong pero I think for the most part naman, yung pinagkakaisahan yung pagpapanagot talaga sa gobyerno ni dating Pangulong Duterte (They have their own advocacy, but I think for the most part, what they are united in is holding the government of former President Duterte accountable)," Ridon continued,

"Very evident yan sa mga pahayag nila [Leila] de Lima, mga kasamahan natin sa Makabayan Bloc (It is very evident from de Lima's statements as well as from our colleagues from the Makabayan Bloc)," Ridon continued.

He also noted that various groups and coalitions are joining forces to question Vice President Sarah's P125 million confidential funds spent in just 11 days.

"At least nagkakaisa naman sila doon (At least they are united when it comes to that)," he added.

Human rights lawyer Chel Diokno was supposed to run for the third time as a senator before Akbayan Party announced that he will be the first nominee of Akbayan Party-list.

For Ridon, it was a strategic plan.

"Mas madaling manalo sa party-list kaysa sa Senado. Ang rekisito sa Senado, mahina yung 15 million. Para sigurado kailangan mo ng 30 million votes. Ang kailangan lang boto sa party-list ay at the very least today ay 400,000 votes (It's earser to win in the party-list than in the Senate. The requirement in the Senate is at least 15 million votes. To be sure, you need 30 million votes. The only number of voters needed in the party-list is at the very least 400,000)," he added.

"Kung ang talagang idea ng ilan sa mga miyembro ng oposisyon ay makapagluklok ng advocates at makaupo sa Kongreso o Senado, tingin ko magandang hakbang yung ginawa ng Mamamayang Liberal na i-field si Chel Diokno sa party-list (If the real idea of some of the members of the opposition is to appoint advocates and sit in the Congress or the Senate, I think it was a good move by the Mamamayang Liberal to field Chel Diokno in the party-list)."

The LP-backed party-list group Mamamayang Liberal will field former senator Leila de Lima as its first nominee, along with former House representatives Teddy Baguilat and Erin Tanada.

"Tingin ko whether tumakbo man sila sa Kongreso o Senado, bitbit pa rin naman nila yung mga binanggit ko na adbokasiya (I think whether they run for Congress or the Senate, they will still carry the advocay I mentioned)," Ridon said.

Bayan Muna first nominee human rights lawyer Neri Colmenares, during his speech, said that their group is open to work with the opposition.

"Wala kaming problemang magkaisa sa sinumang mananalong oposisyon at manalo man yan o matalo ang oposisyon, basta common ang issue namin sa taong bayan, walang problemang magkaisa yan para i-ensure na mananalo ang oposisyon sa 2028 (We have no problem united with whoever wins in the opposition and whether the opposition wins or loses, as long as our issue is common to the people, there's no problem uniting to ensure that the opposition wins in 2028)," he said.