FRONTRUNNERS in the surveys for senatorial candidates in the May 2025 elections who were no-shows in yesterday’s “Tapat na Serbisyo: Senatorial Debate 2025” at the San Beda University ended up being bashed by their opponents for lack of respect for young voters.
Out of 66 bets vying for 12 seats in the Senate, only 12 candidates participated in the event organized by the university’s The Republic – Department of Political Science and ABS-CBN News.
They were fisheries sector advocate Rommel Arambulo, environmentalist Roy Cabonegro, former Bayan Muna party list Rep. Teddy Casiño, ACT Teachers party list Rep. France Castro, climate action advocate David de Angelo, University of Santo Tomas professor and lawyer Angelo de Alban, labor leaders Leody de Guzman and Luke Espiritu, Valenzuela Rep. Eric Martinez, women’s rights advocate Liza Maza, peasant sector activist Danilo Ramos, and transport sector advocate Mar Valbuena.
De Guzman set the tone of the debate by calling on the young voters who packed the venue to reject candidates who represent “politics of billionaires, politics of dynasties, and politics of plunderers.”
Espiritu also took potshots at President Marcos Jr. for belittling candidates who are not backed by money and big political machineries.
“He said we were just sent to the store to buy vinegar and ended up filing our candidacies. I dare Bongbong Marcos: If any of us here land in the Senate, we will tear down political dynasties. Heads of Marcos and Duterte senators will roll,” Espiritu said, earning applause from the audience.
De Alban, for his part, warned young voters that the coming election will determine much of the policies that will map their futures.
“If you allow political dynasties and traditional politics to keep control of government, where do you see yourselves five, ten, 15 years from now?” he asked.
De Alban also coined the term “KuPol” (Kumag na Politiko) for senatorial bets who are running on popularity or name-recall alone without any experience in governance or track record in advocating for social justice.
“Kumag” is a Filipino colloquial term for a person who is useless and an imbecile.
“Voters should boycott KuPols, those who run just because of name-recall even if they know nothing about issues and (are) clueless about legislative work,” he said.
Ramos, who is running on a pro-farmer and fisherfolks platform, urged Filipinos to know the other candidates, particularly those representing the poor and less represented sectors of the society.
“Do no limit your choices to the camps of Kasamaan and Kadiliman (Evil and Darkness). We are the alternatives. We should not allow that the Senate chairperson of the Committee on Agriculture, Food, Environment, Natural Resources, and Agrarian Reform is someone who is a real estate developer,” he pointed out drawing guffaws and hoots from the audience.
