📷: Courtesy of Tanggol Magsasaka | FB
Days ahead of the mid-term elections, Tanggol Magsasaka today issued a stern warning to the Filipino public on the growing hijacking of the partylist system by elite, dynasty-backed, and anti-farmer groups — a disturbing trend where political clans, business tycoons, and known human rights violators masquerade as champions of farmers to manipulate public sentiment and secure seats in Congress.
These plunderous peasant posers — partylist groups and nominees who exploit the struggles and aspirations of farmers — merely advance policies that further marginalize and impoverish the rural majority once in power. Cloaked in the language of farmers’ rights, they instead serve entrenched landlord, corporate, and bureaucratic interests responsible for the country’s deep-seated agrarian crisis.
Tanggol Magsasaka emphasized that this systematic deception, particularly rampant during election season, betrays the Constitution’s partylist provision — which was designed to amplify the voices of marginalized sectors such as peasants, workers, and indigenous peoples.
“This is not just electoral fraud. This is political identity theft on a national scale,” said Ronnie Manalo, spokesperson of Tanggol Magsasaka. “When dynasties and landlords pose as defenders of rural-based sectors, they rob farmers not just of their votes, but of their rightful voice in shaping policies — perpetuating a cycle of oppression and exclusion.”
Citing recent data from election watchdog Kontra Daya, the group revealed that 70% of partylist groups contesting seats this year have links to political dynasties, big business, the military or police, or corruption — with 4 out of 10 so-called “pro-farmer” partylists implicated.
Tanggol Magsasaka called on all voters — especially those in rural communities — to stay vigilant, critical, and organized, and to reject partylist groups and candidates who exploit farmers’ names for personal and political gain. “If we want real change, we must ensure that genuine peasants and advocates — not landlords and generals — speak for farmers in Congress.”
𝙁𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙛𝙖𝙧𝙢𝙚𝙧 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙮𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙨 𝙪𝙣𝙢𝙖𝙨𝙠𝙚𝙙
Tanggol Magsasaka named several partylist groups posing as pro-farmer advocates yet driven by elite interests:
> Magsasaka Partylist — Plagued by internal disputes and questionable nominees, including former PNP Chief Debold Sinas, linked to multiple peasant massacres and human rights abuses.
> Abono Partylist — Controlled by the Estrella dynasty of Pangasinan, implicated in the pork barrel scam.
> Agri Partylist — Dominated by the Lee family, corporate magnates behind the LKY Group of Companies.
> Angat Partylist — Led by the Tamayo-Jimenez dynasty of South Cotabato, with direct ties to Marcos Jr.’s political party.
“Every election cycle, farmers — the backbone of our nation and the poorest of the poor — are deceived by wolves in farmers’ clothing,” said Manalo, Tanggol Magsasaka spokesperson. “This year is no different — and perhaps even worse.”
The group reiterated its call for voters to critically scrutinize partylist candidates and reject these plunderous posers. “Representation is meaningless if it serves landlords, corporations, and tyrants,” Manalo concluded. #
