The best measure in choosing politicians and partylists on May 12, 2025 is their legislative record, not their popularity or longevity at the Lower House or the Senate, but the quality of their legislative work. It is worth noting that despite facing harassment, red-tagging and the covert operations of offices created by the Duterte regime, Bayan Muna has never shirked from its commitment to craft laws that advance the welfare of the people at large as what the 1987 Constitution has mandated.
A reading of the bills crafted, defended and won by Bayan Muna (#59) showed the following: Republic Act (RA) No. 9406—Reorganizing and Strengthening the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO), enacted in the 13th Congress (2007); RA 9504 – Tax Exemptions for Minimum Wage Earners, also known as the Tax Relief of 2009; RA 9653 – Rent Control Act of 2009; RA 9745 – Anti Torture Act of 2009; RA 10069 – Health Workers’ Day Act (14th Congress); RA 10353 – Anti-Enforced or Involuntary Disappearance Act (15th Congress); RA 10366- Accessible Polling Places for PWD and Senior Citizens; RA10368 – Human Rights Victims Reparation and Recognition Act (2013); RA 10380 – Local Absentee Voting for Media (2013); RA 10609 – Protection of Students’ Right to Enroll in Review Centers Act (15th Congress); RA 10639 – Free Mobile Disaster Alert Act, 2013, 16th Congress, and; RA 10653- Increased Ceiling for Tax-Exempt Benefits, 16th Congress.
Bayan Muna also proposed an additional P2,000 pension for senior citizens but the bill was vetoed by Malacanang. The other laws championed by Bayan Muna were: RA 10862 – Nutrition and Dietetics Law of 2016 (16th Congress); RA 10969 – Free Irrigation Act for Poor Farmers; RA 11036- Mental Health Act (17th Congress); RA 11037- Masustansyang Pagkain Para sa Batang Pilipino Act (17th Congress); RA 11148- Kalusugan at Nutrisyon ng Mag-Nanay Act of 2018, 17th Congress); RA 11202- Mobile Portability Act of 2018, 17th Congress; RA 11308 – Converting Western Visayas State University (WVSU) Extension as WVSU Himamaylan City Campus, 17th Congress; RA 11369 – National Students Day, 17th Congress; RA 11440- National Campus Press Freedom Day Act of 2018, 17th Congress; RA 11712- Public Health Emergency Benefits and Allowances for Health Care Workers Act of 2022, 18th Congress.
In 2010, Bayan Muna spearheaded House Resolution 692 that called for a moratorium the establishment of coal-fired electricity generating plants nationwide, condemned the clearing of 7,000 old growth trees by the Ipilan Nickel Corp and Global Ferronickel Holdings in Brooke’s Point, Palawan and itrs serious environmental impact through House Resolution 1032 in 2017, slammed lillegal Chinese dredging projects in House Resolution 1528 in 2021 and demanded an investigation into the violent attacks against Masungi forest rangers through House Resolution 2499 in 2022. In 2014, Bayan Muna worked for the approval of House Bill (HB) 4285 or the Marine Mammal Protection Bill. In 2019, the partylist pushed for the approval of HB257, also known as the Manila Bay as Reclamation-Free Zone bill. The following year, it pursued the approval of the Environmental Defense Bill.
Bayan Muna sustained its campaign for the enactment of proposed legislation for sexual equality under the SOGIE Equality Bill from 2010 to 2019, with the proposal still subject to prolonged discussion, From 2008 to 2019, the partylist sustained the campaign for the approval of the Human Rights Defenders Bill and succeeded in winning the enactment of the Anti-Red Tagging Bill in 2021. From 2003 to 2019, Bayan Muna was at the forefront of debates on the Freedom of Information Bill. Similarly, it waged a campaign for approval of the Decriminalizing Libel Bill from 2008 to 2019. The partylist succeeded in having the Reparation and Recognition of the Victims of Human Rights Violations (HRVs) During Marcos Regime enacted in 2020. For 10 years, from 2009 to 2019 to be exact, Bayan Muna campaigned for the enactment of the Anti-SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation) Bill. Despite opposition, Bayan Muna was unfazed in pushing the approval of the New Public Assembly Bill from 2003 to 2020.
An analysis of the proposed pieces of legislation crafted by Bayan Muna shows that the partylist was concerned about low wages that have condemned workers to grinding poverty and cared about the continuing neglect of the farm sector, which has been howling about low farmgate prices of palay and other produce and the failure of the Marcos Jr. government to repeal the despised Rice Liberalization Law (RLL.) Bayan Muna has been opposed to reclamation projects awarded to big corporations and the plunder of the nation’s mineral resources by Chinese companies and dredging firms. Moreover, it has shown in no uncertain terms its defense of human rights and demanded sanctions for state agents responsible for red-tagging and enforced disappearances. Bayan Muna’s record is clean as it has not been involved in doleouts that end up being implemented by favored partylists during election years.
Given its record, voters are advised to return Bayan Muna #59 to the House of Representatives and continue its legislative work and pursue the core interest of workers, which is for higher wages and lower prices of prime commodities, and the demand of farmers to end a food security policy anchored on importations of rice, vegetables, fish and meat, which subvert the very interest of domestic producers and small businesses in the rural areas. Bayan Muna, along with the Makabayan Coalition, are at the forefront of the people’s campaign to unmask grafters, and the latter’s work in exposing the financial shenanigans of Sara Zimmerman Duterte Carpio has made impeachment a relevant political and electoral issue. In tandem with the Makabayan senatorial candidates, Bayan Muna will work steadfastly to expose corruption in the corridors of power and stop them from plundering up to 40% of the national budget yearly. (DIEGO MORRA)
