Quezon City – Members of Pambansang Koalisyon ng Kababaihan sa Kanayunan gathered online last Friday morning to discuss the situation of the 2025 national elections. The discussion focused on issues pertinent to the rural women agenda and triple crises of governance, justice and the future. PKKK project coordinator Ms. Mylene Hega gave a presentation highlighting the dominance of fat and obese dynasties in the current polls. She also lamented the highly effective misinformation and disinformation populating social media. According to Hega, many voters will decide to vote for candidates whom they perceive as having achieved a lot, helped many people, popular, clean and whose names are already familiar. The group noted that these criteria are not compatible with what should be expected of candidates who are running for legislative office. However, the “ayuda” mentality has already taken root in most of the voters. This is reflected in the top choices for party-list representatives, where 4Ps is likely to get the most number of party-list seats in the House of Representatives.
PKKK members noted that the 2028 polls are of dire importance, as the former president’s daughter, Sara Duterte, is poised to take the next Presidency if she is not perpetually barred from public office. They take little comfort that she is a woman because of the threats that she poses to the democratic system, the West Philippine Sea issue, and to her political opponents. The group said those threats exacerbate existing struggles rural women confront daily such as gender-based violence, sexual and reproductive health discrimination, loss of livelihood, food insecurity, climate change and environmental destruction.
Most importantly, this election bears the impact of the collapse of the UNITEAM, the political alliance between two of the most powerful dynasties- Marcoses and Dutertes- which handed an unprecedented victory to Bongbong Marcos in 2022.
Participants agreed that crucial tasks lay ahead for PKKK. Political education must start early, as well as inculcating a rights-based and gender-responsive electoral knowledge and attitude, discourage electing candidates who are rights violators, members of political dynasties and have criminal convictions.
The group also considered how they can support Babyluz M. Bador, currently running as Vice Mayor of Sta. Catalina, Negros Oriental. Bador’s platform includes PKKK’s rural women’s agenda. It is the first time a PKKK member is running for such a high-profile local position.
