Bayan Muna (English: People First) is a political party in the Philippines. The motto of the party is "New Politics, the Politics of Change", against "traditional, elitist, pro-imperialist politics".[1] Its platform includes the advocation of a government that progressively supports the working class, with meaningful representation of democratic sectors. Bayan Muna was the most popular party-list party in the 2004 Philippine election, garnering 1.2 million votes.[2] There are currently three Bayan Muna representatives sitting in the 13th Congress of the Philippines: Satur Ocampo, Teodoro Casiño, and Joel Virador. Bayan Muna advocates land reform or redistribution of land and pro-Filipino industrialization similar to the policies implemented by the Quezon and Aquino governments.
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Representatives to Congress
| Period | 1st Representative | 2nd Representative | 3rd Representative |
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2001–2004 |
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2004–2007 |
| Period | 1st Representative | 2nd Representative |
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| Bayan Muna was only given two seats after the COMELEC used the Panganiban formula for the seats filled by party-list organizations | ||
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2007–2010 |
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History
Bayan Muna was formed in 1999 by representatives of grassroots-based people's organizations under the umbrella group BAYAN (Bagong Alyansang Makabayan) (English: New Patriotic Alliance). Due to its role in the 2001 EDSA Revolution, it won the most votes for partylist representatives in two consecutive elections. The party's representatives in Congress includes Satur Ocampo, Crispin Beltran, Liza Maza, Teodoro Casiño, and Joel Virador in office. Maza and Beltran subsequently resigned to assume leadership roles in Bayan Muna's affiliated parties GABRIELA and Anakpawis, respectively. Currently, the party opposes Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's presidency on claims of corruption due to the Hello Garci controversy as well as allegations over widespread human rights abuses, most notably the State of Emergency in February 2006. During the suspension of freedoms, the 5 members were sought out with arrest warrants by the government and took refuge in Congress. Thenceforth, the group of Bayan Muna representatives became known as the Batasan 5.
2007 Election
In the weeks leading up the Philippine national election, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, on behalf of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and the Armed Forces of the Philippines, admitted "Malacañang’s leading role in the fabricated charges leveled against Rep. Ocampo and the campaign to crush Bayan Muna."[3] Bayan Muna partylist representative Satur Ocampo was detained weeks prior in March 2007 on murder charges from a 1984 communist purge. The arrest was widely condemned by international observers.[4] In the 14 May 2007 election, the party won 2 seats in the nationwide party-list vote.
Criticism
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Bayan Muna has backed laws that would increase the minimum wage without regard to worker productivity, which were criticised by the business sector due to their possible effects on inflation. Other criticisms include that the laws they support make it more expensive to fire workers regardless of justification, thus promoting rent-seeking behavior. [5][6] Bayan Muna's members - including Ocampo - have also been accused of being former members of, and having links to the country's long-running Communist insurgency which is still being spearheaded by the New People's Army.
References
- ^ Bayan Muna. About Bayan Muna.
- ^ Republic of the Philippines.National Tally Sheet: PARTY-LIST CANVASS REPORT No. 20. Commission on Elections. June 2, 2004.
- ^ Davao Today. "Satur back on campaign trail; Palace, AFP finally admit roles in anti-Bayan Muna drive." April 9, 2007.
- ^ Philippine Inquirer. "Media group slams MPD media ban on Ocampo" 22 March 2007.
- ^ Sicat, Gerardo (April 2004). Discussion Paper No.0404: Reforming the Philippine Labor Market. University of the Philippines School of Economics. Retrieved on 2007-01-17.
- ^ Sicat, Gerardo (April 2004). Discussion Paper No.0403: "Successes" and Adjustments in the Philippine Labor Market. University of the Philippines School of Economics. Retrieved on 2007-01-17.
