MANILA (SE): “We are a coalition of democratic forces. We reject those who identify with authoritarianism. We reject those responsible for extrajudicial killings or who abet them,” Antonio Carpio, a retired Supreme Court judge, said at the March 18 launch in Manila, the Philippines, of 1Sambayan, a coalition of political and civil society figures, UCAN reported on March 19.
The group is headed by Carpio together with former ombudsman, Conchita Carpio Morales, and former foreign minister, Albert del Rosario. De La Salle Brother Armin Luistro and Jesuit Father Albert Alejo are convenors of the group.
Their goal is to endorse a single slate of national candidates—president, vice president, and 12 senators—who would contest whoever would be fielded by the Duterte administration for the presidential and legislative elections in 2022, Rappler.com reported on March 18.
“It is a matter of national survival for us. We have to bring back our respect for human rights, integrity and honesty in government,” Carpio said.
“(But) Unless we are united, we cannot win in 2022. We have the majority, but the majority will become a minority if they are divided. So we have to remain united, and that is the unifying force,” he added, Rappler.com reported.
Father Alejo said respect for human life was one of the major criteria the coalition would use in determining candidates it would endorse in the next elections, UCAN reported.
“If you are quiet, if you don’t make a stand against brazen killings … you have no part in this because you are one of those who support the killings,” Father Alejo said in a video presentation at the launch.
He said that one cannot remain silent when the poor and the marginalised suffer from authoritarian and human rights violations, referring to the drug war that has seen thousands murdered.
He was also referring to a controversial anti-terror law that critics say allows draconian measures such as longer arbitrary detentions without legal recourse for loosely defined offences.
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“If you are silent or applaud, especially if you applaud killings in the name of drugs, there is blood on your hands,” Father Alejo added.
Brother Luistro said one of his motivations in joining the group was to ensure a better future for younger generations.
“It is difficult to tell a lie to the young. It is difficult to pretend there will be a better future for them. This is exactly why this group was formed,” Brother Luistro said
He stressed that those who oppose the Duterte administration must be united in order to defeat administration candidates.
Rappler.com quoted former congressperson, Neri Colmenares, of Bayan Muna, as saying, “Many of us are here because we agree that we all want a united opposition to resoundingly defeat the forces of tyranny that has ruled this country in the last five years. For us, that is the main unifying point here.”
