In a field of more than five dozen candidates for senators, it is hard to distinguish senatoriables from among each other. At a time when the focus of traditional and new media are the presidential and vice-presidential candidates, the majority of the electorate are left largely with familiarity as basis in choosing their 12 bets. This trend is manifested in latest survey results, which has consistently showed re-electionists, former senators, and scions of established political families as the most probable winners of the senatorial elections.

In an interview with BlogWatch a few weeks ago, I asked Makabayan senatorial candidates Satur Ocampo and Liza Maza what would make any other voter vote for them, when the convenient choice is to pick the familiar names? What distinguishes them from the rest of the pack? In a field where all candidates promise education, health and employment for all, what can they claim to have experienced, have done and are willing to do that no other senatorial candidate can claim?

CHARACTER
Only Satur Ocampo and Liza Maza have experienced harassment, incarceration and torture in their fight against corruption and abuse in government from the Marcos regime to the Arroyo administration. Others claim to have fought and are fighting for good government, but almost none of them were incarcerated or tortured, for they never genuinely posed a threat to corrupt rulers. Some politicians bravely lash at abuses in government in front of TV cameras, but are cowed and silenced at the threat of dispersal on the streets, or harassment from the powers-that-be. I am sure that Satur Ocampo and Liza Maza will never surrender their fight for good and honest governance.

Only Satur Ocampo and Liza Maza genuinely came from the ranks of the masses and continue to maintain very simple lifestyles despite being congressmen for almost a decade. In fact, they are consistently listed as among the poorest congressmen in terms of material wealth. Satur Ocampo came from a peasant family in Pampanga, and was once a student leader and a journalist. Liza Maza came from a simple middle class family from Laguna and was once a teacher and a government employee. Both of them were scholars of state funded universities. None of them own extravagant cars, nor live in large houses. Other senatoriables claim to be pro-poor, but they never genuinely understand what it feels like to be poor, not when they live in marble mansions, and are chauffeured in expensive SUV’s.

EXPERIENCE
Only Satur Ocampo and Liza Maza have had decades-long experience in people’s organizations, immersing themselves with the masses, understanding their plight and offering solutions that harness their collective aspirations. Most other senatoriables were just born into political families and trained in the traditional political lifestyle. Some were just propelled to popularity through media.

Only Satur Ocampo and Liza Maza have represented the marginalized sector for almost a decade in Congress as representatives of Bayan Muna and Gabriela, respectively. In their nine years in Congress they have authored and co-authored hundreds of bills that seeks to benefit and empower the people, some of which have successfully become laws (Anti-Torture Law, Abolition of Death Penalty, Magna Carta of Women, Overseas Absentee Voting, Tax Relief for Minimum Wage Earners, Strengthening of the Public Attorney’s Office, Anti-Violence against Women & Children, Rent Control, and Anti-Trafficking in Persons, to name a handful).

NATIONALIST & PRO-PEOPLE PLATFORM
Only Satur Ocampo and Liza Maza have fought for and pledged to continue the campaign to enact genuine land reform, modernization of agriculture and industrialization of the country in order to realize a strong pro-Filipino economy, an economy controlled by and would benefit the Filipinos instead of foreigners that have long controlled and plundered resources and profits out of the country. While other candidates are willing to compromise national economic interests to foreign governments and multinationals in the name of free trade, liberalization and globalization, only Satur Ocampo and Liza Maza have pledged to put the Filipinos’ economic interests first.

Only Satur Ocampo and Liza Maza have pledged to support national industrialization programs, to develop industries from steel, petrochemicals, textile, light manufacturing, energy, among others and implement programs to empower the country to process its own minerals and other raw materials in order for Filipinos to benefit from our wealth of natural resources instead of exporting them to those who have always taken advantage of our backward economy and lack of technology.

Mindful of our duty to protect the environment from exploitation and destruction, too, Satur Ocampo and Liza Maza have been consistent in their position to control commercial mining by repealing the Mining Act of 1995 and to advance instead a policy of regulated mining that would benefit the Filipino people the most, to control commercial logging and commercial fishing, all guided by a program for sustainable economic development. They have also vowed to implement a national program for organic farming and for the development of traditional and adequate agriculture that is not harmful to the environment.

Only Satur Ocampo and Liza Maza have been consistent in their uncompromising position that social services and development projects must be prioritized over payment of the country’s onerous and anomalous foreign debt. They have been consistent in linking increasing cost of health care in our public hospitals and tuition in our public schools and universities to budget cuts caused by a government more willing to honor its foreign creditors than its people. They have pledged to fight for an increase by 50% to government budget for public education, health, agriculture and infrastructure and to endeavor to follow international standards on budget for social services.

Only Satur Ocampo and Liza Maza have consistently pushed for a P125 daily wage increase for workers and employees in the private sector and P3,000 monthly wage increase for workers in the public sector. While other politicians get cowed by threats or get bought by bribes from wealthy businessmen, Satur Ocampo and Liza Maza have always sided with the exploited workers.

These are just some of Satur Ocampo and Liza Maza’s principles and policy declarations, many of which no other senatorial candidate can claim to have consistently espoused and fought for and will continue to advocate as senators. Some of you may not entirely agree with their stands, but they never compromised them in order to be popular, they simply do what they believe is genuinely best for the people. We need senators who will offer alternative solutions and legislation to the usual pro-status quo rhetoric in Senate.

WE NEED A SENATE WITH OCAMPO & MAZA
A Senate without Satur Ocampo and Liza Maza will be just like any other old and traditional Senate we have had, a Senate which has done very little to dismantle country’s established order, a status quo where an overwhelming majority of our countrymen are poor, homeless and landless, a country that is backward and unprogressive, reliant on foreign investment and technology to survive. Enough of the same old politicians. It is indeed time for us to elect two genuine nationalists and activists for senators.

It is for these reasons Satur Ocampo and Liza Maza’s names will surely be shaded on my ballot. I hope their ovals get shaded in your ballots, too.

Wala nang ibang mas matapang, mas makabayan at mas makamasa pa kina Satur Ocampo at Liza Maza.