Labor leader and lawyer Sonny Matula filed his certificate of candidacy (COC) on Thursday, Oct. 7, for senator in the May 2022 polls.
Matula is the chairperson of the Nagkaisa! Labor Coalition and President of the Federation of Free Workers (FFW).
If he gets elected, Matula is pushing for safe work and adequate assistance for all Filipino workers.
"Workers have been left behind in governance and decision making. Kaya naman nitong pandemya, kitang-kita kung paanong pinabayaan ang mga manggagawa na makipagsapalaran sa COVID sa trabaho at kung papaanong ikinulong sa bahay nang wala o kakarampot na ayuda (That's why in this pandemic, it is obvious how workers are left to face the risk of COVID at work and how they were forced to stay home without or little aid)," Matula said.
"One of my priorities is ensuring that the Philippines becomes a safe place for workers. In the last five years more than 50 workers have been killed just for organizing workers. Recognizing rights at work is one of the pillars of decent work," he added.
The Philippines has been tagged by the International Trade Union Confederation as one of the 10 worst places for workers because of the spate of killings of workers and the impunity that permits it to continue.
Matula ran in 2019 for the Senate under the unified Labor Win ticket, alongside Bukluran ng Manggagawa chair Leody de Guzman.