“All the forces of heaven and hell are in formation, ready for the battle to come.”

Former president Rodrigo Duterte’s allies made it to the Senate, such as Bong Go, Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, and Rodante Marcoleta. The liberal politicians who were roundly defeated in the 2022 elections made it to the Top 5 of the list, represented by Bam Aquino and Kiko Pangilinan.

Four of the remaining elected senators (Ping Lacson, Tito Sotto, Pia Cayetano, Lito Lapid) are said to be on the side of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. In contrast, Camille Villar and Imee Marcos are allied with Duterte. Imee openly sided with the Dutertes during the patriarch’s arrest and incarceration at The Hague. Both became guest candidates in Duterte’s party, PDP-Laban.

How they will vote in the scheduled impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, how they respond to the International Criminal Court’s case against former president Duterte, and the possible arrest of the latter’s allies, will unfold in the coming months.

On the party lists in the House, the top winner is the progressive party Akbayan, securing three representatives: human rights lawyer Chel Diokno, current Akbayan representative Perci Cendaña, and Muslim leader Dahda Ismula. The Mamamayang Liberal party got one seat, represented by former senator Leila de Lima.

The party lists, which are mandated by law to secure 20% of the 300-odd membership of the House, have been hijacked by representatives from local political dynasties since a Supreme Court decision in 2013. Before this, the party lists are exclusively for marginalized and underrepresented sectors.

The top winners of the party lists include Tingog (under the Romualdezes), Agimat (under the Revillas), ACT-CIS (under the Tulfos), PPP (under the Dutertes), and the Duterte Youth party list whose entry into Congress was suspended by the Commission on Elections pending resolution of disqualification charges against them.

The left National Democrats (NDs), associated with the Makabayan bloc, won two seats from the ACT-Teacher and Kabataan party lists. Gabriela and Bayan Muna lost.

The new Left party list Kamanggagawa, under the Alab-Katipunan group, has one representative.

Progressive vote
Despite this, the Left and progressive groups that failed to win Senate seats registered impressive scores by obtaining millions of votes.

Luke Espiritu, the senatorial candidate of Partido Lakas ng Masa (PLM), obtained the most votes among the Left forces, with more than 6.4 million votes (more than 11% of the total votes). Ka Leody de Guzman, also of PLM, received more than 4 million votes (7% of the total votes).

The Left ND group, represented by Makabayan bloc candidates Teddy Casiño, Arlene Brosas, Danilo Ramos, Liza Masa, and France Castro, also amassed millions of votes.

Another progressive liberal candidate, Heidi Mendoza, garnered a high score of over 8 million votes.

What do all these represent?

All the political forces in the country, from the extreme right-wing and dynastic forces of Duterte and Marcos right up to the progressive liberals, the center-left progressives, the Left NDs, and the Left socialist forces represented by PLM, are now locked in the electoral showdown.

They represent varied class forces and conflicting class interests. The progressives’ task is to shape this into a contest between the traditional ruling classes and the masses of the working class and marginalized sectors. This means campaigning for and forming a broad, united front capable of overthrowing the rule of the political dynasties in government.

Senator Risa Hontiveros has started to talk about building an electoral movement. To build an electoral base, the Left and progressives should find ways to reach most of the country’s 18 regions, 82 provinces, and 254 electoral districts. Expanding the electoral reach also means leading the mass struggles between, during, and beyond the electoral campaigns.

Build grand alliance
The battlecry for an electoral movement or alliance should be geared towards a Grand Alliance Against Political Dynasties. This will draw out the fight not only for 2028 but also for the years to come.

The Grand Alliance Against Dynasties should be composed of the following: Various political forces from a broad spectrum of progressive liberals, center-left progressives, Left/NDs, and Left/Socialists.
It should not be a gathering of progressive group leaders but a formation representing mass organizations. It should not be just for elections or campaigning but a center for advancing mass struggles. We should include the progressive Church groups, the middle classes, the patriotic soldiers and military, and the entire Filipino people — workers, the poor, students, youth, women, farmers, fisherfolk, LGBTQIA+, environmental groups, and those arising from the 99% of society.
Less than two weeks after the election, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. called for all his Cabinet members to resign to supposedly address people’s concerns, as shown in the election results.

But the initial changes are a testament to the same old politics. The President retained his economic team, which cemented the government’s neoliberal policies and affirmed support for Marcos’ oligarchs and cronies. Retained is Finance Secretary Ralph Recto, who engineered the infamous 12% EVAT or consumption tax in 2005 and the recent raid on PhilHealth’s savings to bolster Marcos Jr’s Maharlika Fund.

Housing Department Secretary Jerry Acuzar was replaced by a top real estate and construction mogul, Ramon Aliling, who will ensure the continuing privatization of housing projects. Acuzar had admitted to the failure of the administration’s housing project (called the 4PH Pabahay Program) even before the election.

The newly appointed environment secretary Raphael Lotilla came from the energy commission, which was charged by various multisectoral groups belonging to Power4People Coalition with graft over violations of a coal moratorium and endorsing energy oligarch Aboitiz Corp.

Renewed battlegrounds
After the election heyday, people face renewed struggles for their rights and existence. The broad community resistance to a police-backed demolition force in Tondo, captured by TV news cameras, also showcased a back-to-the-struggle mood of the population. Hundreds of residents battled with the demolition team to prevent them from entering their community.

The 2028 election preparation should be secondary to advancing the broad working class and people’s struggles.

However, the Left must contest the upcoming Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK or youth council) election on December 1, 2025. There are pending laws in Congress calling for a delay in the election, but after the not-too-favorable election showing of administration candidates, Marcos might ensure that the election goes through.

We should call on all progressive community leaders, especially youth and student leaders, to intervene in the elections. There is a ban on political dynasties for the SK, an opportunity for non-traditional forces to expand the local government base of the Left forces. – Rappler.com

Sonny Melencio is the chairperson of the Partido Lakas ng Masa, the party that fielded Ka Leody de Guzman and Luke Espiritu as senatorial candidates for the May 12, 2025 elections.