The Philippine Online Chronicles

AKP is the Ang Kapatiran Party (the Brotherhood). It was founded by Reynaldo Pacheco in 2004 with Christian Democracy as its ideology.  For a young political party, it has an ambitious plan to field over 4,000 candidates in the May 2010 elections. On a national scale, its standard bearer for the Presidency is JC delos Reyes and its vice presidential candidate is Atty. Dominador Chipeco Jr.

It originally had eight senatorial candidates, but in early March 2010, one senatoriable, Zosimo Paredes, transferred party affiliation to Bro. Eddie’s Bangon Pilipinas Party.

It would not have made much difference which party he was listed under--in the 2007 elections, "Dr. Balikbayan" Martin Bautista ran for a seat under the party but lost. He is now a candidate under Aquino’s LP.

There are no specific platforms per candidate. Instead, they uphold the platform of the group in general, which is to enhance the common good and promote the politics of virtue and politics of duty. They are focused on moral principles and seek to address the needs of the poor and protect life.

The remaining seven are virtual unknown candidates to the voting masses. They do not have the political family names that most other candidates have. They are not former television or entertainment personalities nor are they business behemoths.  They are as follows: Lito David, Adrian Sison, Reginald Tamayo, Col. Hector Tarrazona, Maneul Valdehuesa, Jo Imbong, and Grace Rinoza.

Rizalito “Lito” David

Born in Tondo, Manila in 1962, Lito holds a Sociology Degree and studied environmental studies in UP Los Banos.

He has worked in the offices of Sen. Robert Jaworski and Kit Tatad, handling political affairs.

Atty. Adrian Sison

Adrian is the son of Luis Sison and Asuncion Ordonez of Marriage Encounter and Christian Family Movement. An Ateneo undergrad who later completed his Law degree at UP, he is married with two children.

According to his write-up, he suggested the creation of the Human Rights Commission and the abolition of the death penalty in the 1987 constitution.

This is his second time to run for a senatorial seat. His first attempt was in 2007, also under the Ang Kapatiran Party.

Reginand “Regie” Tamayo

Regie is married with four children. He obtained his Philosophy Degree from UP Diliman and is an MBA candidate from the Lyceum of Aparri.

An educator and former dean of the College of Liberal Arts of Lyceum of Aparri, Regie is a columnist for the Northern Forum in Tuguegarao City and Guru Press of Tabuk City. He has served as a councilor and was named one of the Ten Outstanding Municipal Councilors of Cagayan, which is an award granted by the Philippine Councilors League.

Col. Hector “Tarzan” Tarrazona

Tarzan is from Cabatuan, Iloilo and is married with four children. He holds a Master in Development Management from the Asian Institute of Management and is an MBA candidate of the Ateneo de Manila University. He has a Bachelor of Science from the PMA and has also trained as a pilot at the Philippine Air Force Flying School. Tarzan is a Colonel of the Philippine Airforce and also a writer.

Tarzan is the founder of the Child Development and Guidance Center (CDGC) Cooperative, of which he is also Vice Chairman.

Manuel “Manny” Valdehuesa

Manny was born in Cagayan de Oro and is married with two sons. He holds an MBA from the Ateneo de Manila and has also studied at Columbia University School of International Affairs in New York.

Manny is an author and educator. He is active in NAMFREL and the Bishop-Businessmen’s Conference. During Martial law, he was active in the Christian Social Movement.  Currently, he is the President of Gising Barangay Movement Inc, a grassroots advocacy.

Atty. Jo Aurea Imbong

Atty. Jo was born in Malaybalay, Bukidnon, and is a wife and mother to eight children. She is a faculty member of the Ateneo de Manila University and a counsel and lecturer at the University of the Asia and the Pacific. She is also the Head of the Legal Office of the CBCP and a Trustee of the Alliance Against Pornography. In 2001, she founded the Abay Pamilya Foundation.

She performs pro bono work for Family Rights Advocacies, earning her a Fr. Paul B. Marx Pro Life Award from Human Life International. She was also conferred the Blessed Pedro Calungsod Pro Life Award by Cardinal Ricardo Vidal.

Her political philosophy is that “the totality and awesome powers of the State are there simply to serve life, family, motherhood, children, progeny and the common good- not the other way around.”

She is a first time senatorial candidate and is one of two female candidates of AKP, the other being Grace Rinoza.

Grace Rinoza-Plazo

Grace was born in Nasugbu, Batangas and is married with four grown children. She obtained her law degree from Ateneo and is a litigation lawyer. Since starting her legal career, she has served as legal counsel for various organizations, such as the Center of Family Ministries in Ateneo, the Bukid Kabataan Center, and other outreach causes supporting farmers and spiritual groups. She is also the author of two spiritual books and has been active in her local church and community.

Grace’s advocacy is the family. She provides psycho-spiritual and legal counsel for couples in conflict.

Atty. Zosimo “Jess” Paredes II

Jess is listed under the AKP but moved to Bro. Eddie’s Bangon Pilipinas party last March 4. It seems that even this party is not immune to the political musical chairs that is rampant in other parties.

Jess has worked in the Department of Foreign Affairs and was also the Executive Director of Presidential Commission on the Visiting Forces Agreement. He served as an assemblyman of Ifugao  at the Regular Batasang Pambansa back in 1984. This is not his first time to run for a senate seat; back in 1987, he ran under the Grand Alliance for Democracy Party but lost.

Analysis

To its credit, AKP is the only political party that has an individual writeup and information sheet on each of its senatorial candidates on its own website. However, realistically speaking, none of these candidates have a good shot at winning, unless there is a sudden massive religious turnaround with the voting masses. Divine intervention is needed for any of them to win at this point. In Pulse Asia Surveys, the senatorial candidates have a slim statistical shot at winning one of the twelve seats.

That’s too bad. It seems that they are all rather idealistic and have a sincere desire to effect change on a national level. However, they are swimming in a sea full of political sharks and piranhas.

At least between AKP and the other religious political party Bangon Pilipinas, these candidates seem to actually know each other prior to being banded together under the party and weren’t selected to cater to a specific voting group or religious affiliation.

If these senatoriables don’t win on a national scale, it is hoped that they continue whatever social work they do as private individuals. I wonder what crossed their minds to think they would win, given our political culture of personality politics. Their campaign funds would have been better spent funding their individual charities and advocacies. They don’t have to be politicians to effect change.

Photo from Ang Kapatiran Facebook page, under fair use.