By Leslie Ann Aquino
Labor leaders were among the aspirants who filed their certificates of candidacy for senator on Wednesday.
Atty. Sonny Matula of the Federation of Free Workers (FFW) and veteran labor leader Atty. Allan Montano filed their certificates of candidacy for Senate seats at the Commission on Elections (Comelec) main office in Intramuros, Manila.
Jose Sonny Matula; Lawyer Allan Montaño (R)
(COMELEC / MANILA BULLETIN) "We cannot depend on traditional politicians who will promise the moon and the stars to woo the workers. The best representatives of workers are the workers themselves. That's why I'm running for a senate seat," said Matula. "We are the voice of workers, ang boses ng obrero sa Senado, who are the genuine advocates of decent work, decent wages and the right to unionize and bargain collectively as we have been fighting for these all of our lives," Montano who represents workers at the International Trade Union Confederation. Labor leaders of the FFW and the Nagkaisa! Labor Coalition trooped to the Comelec to support the workers' candidates for the Senate. Matula is running under the Labor Party (Lapiang Manggagawa) of the Philippines while Montano is running for the second time. Last week, on the eve of the filing of certificates of candidacy, the local unions of the FFW endorsed the senatorial bids of Atty. Sonny Matula and Atty. Allan Montano. "We need a voice of the workers at the Senate and bring thereat our legislative agenda to empower workers, create more jobs and have decent wages with added social security like unemployment insurance and family allowance," said FFW national vice president Jomel General. Atty. Matula worked as a newsboy to survive high school in Butuan City. He was born in Maguindanao, grew up in Agusan with parents of peasant origin from Negros. He obtained state scholarship and graduated his Bachelor of Arts degree at the Mindanao State University in Marawi. While working at the labor desk of Institute of Social Order in Ateneo de Manila campus and as labor organizer at the FFW, he studied law and graduated with a Bachelor of Laws degree from the MLQU School of Law in 1997. He became a lawyer in 1998. Atty. Matula is now the Chair of the Nagkaisa, the broadest labor Coalition in the country which includes the FFW, Partido Manggagawa, Trade Union Congress of the Philippines, PSLINK, Sentro and 40 other federations. Atty. Montano was born to a poor family of farmers in South Cotabato. He was a debater and student leader at the Central Philippines University in Iloilo. Seeing his potential, the FFW took him in as a scholar and helped him finish his law degree. He has never turned his back on workers since then. He served as president of the FFW in the mid 2000s. Atty. Montano is presently the national president of the Philippine Association of Voluntary Arbitrators (PAVA). Voluntary arbitrators practice alternative dispute resolutions, particularly for cases involving labor relations and problems at work for workers both based here in the country and those working abroad.
Jose Sonny Matula; Lawyer Allan Montaño (R)(COMELEC / MANILA BULLETIN) "We cannot depend on traditional politicians who will promise the moon and the stars to woo the workers. The best representatives of workers are the workers themselves. That's why I'm running for a senate seat," said Matula. "We are the voice of workers, ang boses ng obrero sa Senado, who are the genuine advocates of decent work, decent wages and the right to unionize and bargain collectively as we have been fighting for these all of our lives," Montano who represents workers at the International Trade Union Confederation. Labor leaders of the FFW and the Nagkaisa! Labor Coalition trooped to the Comelec to support the workers' candidates for the Senate. Matula is running under the Labor Party (Lapiang Manggagawa) of the Philippines while Montano is running for the second time. Last week, on the eve of the filing of certificates of candidacy, the local unions of the FFW endorsed the senatorial bids of Atty. Sonny Matula and Atty. Allan Montano. "We need a voice of the workers at the Senate and bring thereat our legislative agenda to empower workers, create more jobs and have decent wages with added social security like unemployment insurance and family allowance," said FFW national vice president Jomel General. Atty. Matula worked as a newsboy to survive high school in Butuan City. He was born in Maguindanao, grew up in Agusan with parents of peasant origin from Negros. He obtained state scholarship and graduated his Bachelor of Arts degree at the Mindanao State University in Marawi. While working at the labor desk of Institute of Social Order in Ateneo de Manila campus and as labor organizer at the FFW, he studied law and graduated with a Bachelor of Laws degree from the MLQU School of Law in 1997. He became a lawyer in 1998. Atty. Matula is now the Chair of the Nagkaisa, the broadest labor Coalition in the country which includes the FFW, Partido Manggagawa, Trade Union Congress of the Philippines, PSLINK, Sentro and 40 other federations. Atty. Montano was born to a poor family of farmers in South Cotabato. He was a debater and student leader at the Central Philippines University in Iloilo. Seeing his potential, the FFW took him in as a scholar and helped him finish his law degree. He has never turned his back on workers since then. He served as president of the FFW in the mid 2000s. Atty. Montano is presently the national president of the Philippine Association of Voluntary Arbitrators (PAVA). Voluntary arbitrators practice alternative dispute resolutions, particularly for cases involving labor relations and problems at work for workers both based here in the country and those working abroad.