By Leslie Ann Aquino The Trade Union Congress of the Philippines has endorsed the senatorial bids of labor lawyers Sonny Matula and Allan Montano for the May 2019 midterm polls. The two, who are running under the Labor Party Philippines, were endorsed by the TUCP during the group's 43rd founding anniversary last week. Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP WEBSITE / MANILA BULLETIN) "We are grateful and honored for the endorsement of the TUCP. I remember Tony Blair and Lee Kuan Yew who were all lawyers for the workers being endorsed by their unions in Britain and Singapore respectively," said Matula in a statement. To note, Blair won and became Prime Minister of Great Britain with the support of miners and workers. Yew also won and became Prime Minister of Singapore with the support of manufacturing, port and transport workers. As chair of the Nagkaisa Labor Coalition which include TUCP, Federation of Free Workers and Sentro, Matula expressed their solidarity with the officers and members of TUCP. "We are one with you in the work to organize all types of workers, to organize more, organize better and unite the voice of workers," he said. For his part, Montano assured the group they are committed to exert the best for the workers, to create decent jobs with living wages, to empower them through their unions and give social protection to those who have less in life. "Once elected in the Senate, we will be with you to champion our legislative agenda which TUCP party-list, Akbayan and Partido Manggagawa had already started in the House of Reps," he said. Earlier, the national convenors of Nagkaisa also supported the senatorial bids of Matula and Montano, who are national officers of FFW. In October, the Kilusang Mayo Uno also endorsed Matula and Neri Colmenares.