A commoner dared to go toe-to-toe with the “epitome of degenerate elite politics.”1 Leodegario “Ka Leody” Quitain De Guzman, in his bid to become the country’s next chief executive has been engaging in the presidential debates organized by various media platforms. Armed with his principles forged by years in the labor movement, he is motivated to overthrow the traditional politics that has existed since the birth of the Republic.
How could a “relatively nobody” aspire to claim the highest public position in the land, in a political arena wherein money and name recall, among others, are essential to even have the slightest chance of putting up a decent fight? Can he muster up enough votes to move the needle?
#ManggagawaNaman
Ka Leody earned his Bachelor of Science in Customs Administration degree at the Philippine Maritime Institute,2 and worked at the leather gloves factory in Aris Philippines Inc. to support his family. He is primarily known for his role in labor rights activism. For decades he has been active in organizing labor unions for the protection of the rights and welfare of the working class.
During his bid in the 2019 Senatorial Elections, he advocated for the end of contractualization, the abolition of the Philippine Mining Act of 1995 (R.A. No. 7942), and the suspension of the tax system under the TRAIN Law. He also supported renewable energy and a review of existing deregulation laws. On social issues, De Guzman pushed for stipends for students from low-income families as well as the implementation of a Universal Basic Income. His progressive political stance also supported the legalization of divorce. De Guzman also opposes death penalty in the Philippines, which has long been criticized as an anti-poor punishment given the current situation of the justice system in the country.
With the participation of a presidential candidate of the working class, De Guzman’s campaign aims to raise the political discourse and strengthen the ability of the masses to organize and advance to the ultimate goal of societal change.3
In a published opinion piece,4 De Guzman is described as someone who “has his feet on the ground and knows people’s grievances.” De Guzman, a long- time labor leader, believes that his 40-year experience as a labor activist is sufficient preparation to be president.5
“For the faceless and voiceless Filipinos like me who yearn for real change, maybe, just maybe, our political moment has finally arrived. The shared sentiment is this. Finally, we have a presidential candidate who can untether the country from the tight grip of neoliberalism,” 6 says Marlen Ronquillo of the Manila Times.
One may consider that this is the first campaign in recent history which is well-organized to sincerely represent the worker’s cause, a bold challenge against traditional politics.
On Neoliberalism
Neoliberalism is contemporarily used to refer to market-oriented reform policies such as “eliminating price controls, deregulating capital markets, lowering trade barriers” and reducing, especially through privatization and austerity, state influence in the economy.7
This concept is discussed elaborately in the book of the renowned political activist and historical essayist Noam Chomsky, Requiem for the American Dream. In this book, Chomsky starts by observing that concentration of wealth yields concentration of power, particularly as the cost of elections skyrockets, which forces the political parties into the pockets of major corporations, who are the major contributors to the parties’ campaign. This political power then quickly translates into legislation that increases the concentration of wealth. Hence, fiscal policy such as tax policy, deregulation, rules of corporate governance, and a whole variety of political measures increase the concentration of wealth and power which, in turn, yields more political power to the rich. 8
One does not have to be a political analyst to observe that what Chomsky describes is a predicament that is happening in our country—corporations invest in a presidential candidate in a quid pro quo deal, expecting government contracts and/or positions in return, should their candidate win the election. These deals are so blatant that we dismiss them as “business as usual.”
The electorate seems to forget that governing a country is different from running a business enterprise, as profit is the primary objective of the latter. Whereas the true mandate of the government is to serve the people, prioritizing the needs of the many above that of the wealthy few.
The government’s true mandate cannot materialize in a neoliberalist structure, which De Guzman seeks to end. He advocates that the electorate should stop voting for candidates who are backed up by these so-called “big business” so that the cycle of concentration of wealth and power will come to an end.
In an interview with the press after the filing of his certificate of candidacy, Ka Leody reiterated, “Matuto tayo. Kapag hindi tayo nagkaroon ng pagbabago at umasa tayo sa mga sikat, sa mga taong may bulto-bultong perang gagastusin sa eleksyon, magiging disyerto ng kahirapan ang bansa na Perlas ng Silanganan.”9 (We must learn. If there is no change and we continue to rely on those who are popular, those who have a lot of money to spend during elections, the ‘Pearl of the Orient’ will become a desert of poverty.)
The government’s true mandate cannot materialize in a neoliberalist structure, which De Guzman seeks to end. He advocates that the electorate should stop voting for candidates who are backed up by these so-called “big business” so that the cycle of concentration of wealth and power will come to an end.
To cite an example of the neoliberal influence in our economic policymaking, let us revisit one of the campaign promises of the current president, President Rodrigo Duterte—the end of contractualization of workers or commonly referred to as “Endo”. Endo is an infamous form of contractualization widely practiced in the country. Workers are hired for not more than five months, so employers don’t need to regularize them on the sixth month as mandated by the Labor Code. It strips millions of workers of all the benefits granted by law to regular employees.10 This campaign promise, however, did not come to fruition.
Consistent with his infamous trait of inconsistency, President Duterte vetoed the Security of Tenure Bill in 2019 despite certifying the same as urgent back in September 2018—he even asked Congress to pass it during his State of the Nation Address that year. “This means the abusive system of contractualization remains and that policies should be changed to give more allowance to capitalists…The capitalists have President Duterte in their pocket. Duterte has turned his back on workers,”11 said De Guzman in Filipino. This is a classic illustration of the concentration of wealth and power described by Chomsky. How can a President deliver his campaign promise, if the policy in question is detrimental to the interest of the powerful elites who contributed to his campaign?
The Communist Misconception
One of the most common misconceptions against “Ka Leody,” who is considered as a progressive socialist, is that he is an advocate of the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines, the New People’s Army (NPA).
This misconception shows that issues of ideology are not mainly discussed in the prevailing political discourse in the Philippines. Although Socialism and Communism are ideologies both on the left side of the political spectrum, disinformation and lack of information blur the important distinctions between the two. Even President Duterte received these false accusations back when he was running for the presidency, that he was “coddling and supporting” the NPA.12
However, the two ideologies are not the same. This misconception was even furthered by Ka Leody’s response to one of the panelist’s questions at the SMNI Presidential Debate, wherein the candidates were asked on how they would deal with the armed insurgency, in particular that of the CPP-NPA. “History is replete of violence, of killings, in the time of Marcos, Duterte, and Gloria, a lot were killed. What can the people do to defend themselves? We don’t want any of that.” This statement gave the impression that his loyalties lie with the communist movement. However, political analysts see this as a more nuanced approach on the insurgency problem. In a closer look, De Guzman emphasized on the need to the address the socio-economic problems that pushes the masses to take up arms. Academic and policy adviser Richard Heydarian praised De Guzman’s response during the debate, commenting that “first time in our history we finally have this kind of debate on a very contentious issue—the root of rebellion and injustice in this country.”13
It is also worth mentioning that De Guzman was responding to all these loaded questions in the presence of an audience that included the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) spokesperson, Undersecretary Lorraine Badoy. The NTF-ELCAC is a task force organized by the Duterte administration to respond and raise awareness against the ongoing communist rebellion in the Philippines. Usec. Badoy is infamously known for red-tagging several celebrities, athletes, etc. “Red-tagging” is the malicious blacklisting of individuals or organizations critical or not fully supportive of the actions of a sitting government administration in the country. These individuals and organizations are “tagged” as either communists or terrorists or both, regardless of their actual political beliefs or affiliations.
De Guzman’s answers are based on injustices not being addressed. He sees that the insurgency problem could not be fixed without understanding and resolving the reasons why there is an armed resistance in the first place. Other journalists were impressed with the strong resolve that the labor leader exemplified just by participating in the event, and even more so by advocating a long-term solution to the issue. For the rest of us, we can only imagine the gallantry required to face such a crowd.
Personality Politics
However admirable, we must not forget that the campaign of Ka Leody represents more than the man himself. One may consider that this is the first campaign in recent history which is well-organized to sincerely represent the worker’s cause, a bold challenge against traditional politics.
His campaign is a refreshing alternative to the personality-centric discourse in which the electorate is forced to focus on the wealth and popularity of the candidates rather than on the pressing national issues and the concrete platforms the candidates must bring. For a democratic republic country such as ours to thrive, it is paramount for the electorate to consider the ideals, principles, and values that the candidate stands for, rather than the individual himself—for the contrary would amount to idolatry.
For a democratic republic country such as ours to thrive, it is paramount for the electorate to consider the ideals, principles, and values that the candidate stands for, rather than the individual himself—for the contrary would amount to idolatry.
It is succinctly put by the character of Jose Manuel in the short film Angelito by acclaimed filmmaker Jerold Tarrog: “Bingi sa katuwiran ang taong may sinasambang idolo.” (You cannot reason with blind followers.)
“Sisimulan ko”
Last March 19, 2022, in his closing statement in the presidential debate hosted and organized by the Commission on Elections, De Guzman highlights his contention that the whole system is rigged. Policies are made to favor the capitalists which results to the oppression of the already-oppressed masses.
“Dapat baguhin iyong mga batas at patakaran na masyadong pabor lamang sa mga kapitalista na nagle-legalize ng pagkakamal ng iilan, at nagle-legalize din sa kahirapan ng ating mamamayan,” (What we need to change are those laws and regulations that unduly favor the capitalists, legalizing the obscene accumulation of wealth of the powerful few, leaving our people destitute) he stated. Further claiming that the country need not only to change the administration, but also to change the whole system, he exclaimed: “Pagbabago sa pulitika, pagbabago sa ekonomiya, pulitika ng masa, ekonomiya ng masa. Hindi dapat tubo, dapat tao muna!” (Political and economic change for the masses. The people, not profit, must be prioritized!)
When asked how Ka Leody can implement his seemingly radical proposals, pointing out that the President would also need the concurrence of the legislature, De Guzman claimed that he can enact the said policies through the People’s Initiative as provided in the 1987 Constitution. To which, one of the panelists, Atty. Rolex Suplico pointed out that no law has been passed through the said mode, even calling the People’s Initiative “a dead letter law.” Ka Leody calmly, but resolutely responded: “Sisimulan ko” (I will start it). This remark sums up the campaign of Leodegario “Ka Leody” Quitain De Guzman—ang pagsimula sa tinuturing na imposible.
It has always been a difficult yet noble ambition for the Filipino people. Daring to begin what is deemed to be impossible.∎
1 Bello, W. (2022, February 14). Tomorrow’s Smni Debate: Spoiled brat Marcos Jr, who is the epitome of degenerate elite politics; vs Leody, genuine labor leader carrying the struggles of ordinary Filipinos. I am confident Ka Leody will show why he deserves to win and why ours is the best strategy against Marcos. Twitter. Retrieved April 5, 2022, from https://twitter.com/WaldenBello/status/1493155537831141380?s=20&t=4ogOY_Ly-cOg8ACCaNjOSA
2 Melsa, V. (2020, April 3). Amazing facts about leody de guzman you cannot afford to miss. Kami.com.ph – Philippines news. Retrieved April 5, 2022, from https://kami.com.ph/108821-leody-de-guzman-biography-education-advocacy-background.html
3 Guzman, K. L. D. (n.d.). Plataporma ng Masa para sa pagbabago: Ka Leody de Guzman. Ka Leody De Guzman Official Website. Retrieved April 5, 2022, from https://kaleody.org/platform/
4 Melencio, S. (2022, January 27). [opinion] what if Ka Leody had been invited to the SOHO interview? RAPPLER. Retrieved April 5, 2022, from https://www.rappler.com/voices/thought-leaders/opinion-what-if-ka-leody-invited-soho-interview/
5 Pascasio, R. (2022, February 12). Politics for the masses: Ka Leody vows to address economy … Vera Files. Retrieved April 5, 2022, from https://verafiles.org/articles/politics-masses-ka-leody-vows-address-economy-health-and-cli
6 Ronquillo, M. (2021, October 20). Ka Leody de Guzman can untether us from the grip of neoliberalism. The Manila Times. Retrieved April 5, 2022, from https://www.manilatimes.net/2021/10/20/opinion/columns/ka-leody-de-guzman-can-untether-us-from-the-grip-of-neoliberalism/1819031
7 Taylor C. Boas, Jordan Gans-Morse (June 2009). “Neoliberalism: From New Liberal Philosophy to Anti-Liberal Slogan”
8 Chomsky, N., Hutchison, P., Nyks, K., & Scott, J. P. (2017). Requiem for the american dream: The 10 principles of concentration of Weath et power. Seven Stories Press.
9 Guzman, K. L. de. (2021, October 7). Ayaw Kong Maulit Ang Kasaysayan. at Alam Kong Ang Dahilan Kung Bakit Maraming pilipino ang bumoto Kay Duterte ay dahil sa Desperasyon ng Pangako Ng EDSA. Yung Desperasyon ng Masa sa elitistang Demokrasya Yan Ang nagtulak kung bakit Niyakap Ang Katulad ni Duterte. https://t.co/1aifwiioh3. Twitter. Retrieved April 5, 2022, from https://twitter.com/LeodyManggagawa/status/1446049190677676033?s=20&t=eqmpjN4iV0BdxAU2pXOC7A
10 Santos, E. (2019, July 26). Duterte rejects anti-endo bill, says it destroys ‘balance’. CNN Philippines. Retrieved April 5, 2022, from https://www.cnnphilippines.com/news/2019/7/26/Duterte-veto-end-endo.html
11 Tomacruz, S. (2019, July 26). After Duterte’s veto, labor groups vow to continue fight vs endo. Rappler. Retrieved April 5, 2022, from https://www.rappler.com/nation/236359-after-duterte-veto-labor-groups-continue-fight-vs-endo/.
12 Cinco, M. (2016, April 18). Duterte: I’m a socialist, not a communist; last card. Inquirer. Retrieved April 5, 2022, from https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/779984/duterte-im-a-socialist-not-a-communist-last-card.
13 Heydarian, R. (2022, February 15). Wow, for the first time in our history we finally have this kind of debate on a very contentious issue – the root of rebellion and injustice in this country, thanks to Ka-Leody! ✊. Twitter. Retrieved April 5, 2022, from https://twitter.com/Richeydarian/status/1493581001888452610?s=20&t=zFpH-XcvkWcnohjvg77TEg.
Thus is the time to bring workers struggle to politics. Use the election as vehicle to promote the agenda of the working class. Organized unions should mobilize their ranks to rally, campaign and organize mass meetings for ka leody and partido ng masa platform of government. The masses particularly those within and below poverty lines should know that ka Leody’s fight is theirs.