Bayan Muna has announced that Rep. Joel Virador, its representative in Congress from Davao and Mindanao, did not seek renomination during the party-list group’s national convention this week. He was, however, elected as executive vice president. According to Bayan Muna, Virador will focus on a “local race.”
Ocampo, Casino, Colmenares, nine others proclaimed Bayan Muna partylist nominees
Bayan Muna’s National Convention, the party’s highest governing body,
this afternoon chose House Deputy Minority Leader Satur C. Ocampo,
Rep. Teddy Casino, and a newcomer as its top three nominees for
partylist representative in the 2007 elections.
Elected as third nominee was Atty. Neri Javier Colmenares,
spokesperson and co-convenor of the Counsels for the Defense of
Liberties (Codal) and the Concerned Lawyers for Civil Liberties. He
has long served as Bayan Muna general counsel since the year 2000.
Outgoing Rep. Joel Virador did not seek renomination in favor of
carrying the party’s colors in a local race in Mindanao; Convention
delegates elected him as executive vice president in recognition of
his outstanding record. Virador first became Bayan Muna partylist
representative in 2003 after Crispin Beltran quit the party and formed
the Anakpawis worker-peasant partylist.
A total of twelve (12) leaders were elected by Bayan Muna’s regional
and sectoral delegates in the National Convention’s assembly at
Amoranto Multipurpose Hall in Quezon City.
Also elected as Bayan Muna nominees were Beverly Longid, Elpidio
Pulmano, Atty. Poch Cinco, former Rep. Siegfred Deduro, Roman
Polintan, Bani Cambronero, Hope Hervilla, Prof. Shane Lumbera and
Jocelyn Bisuña.
The convention also elected Bayan Muna’s National Executive Committee
as follows: Ocampo as president, Dr. Reynaldo Lesaca Jr. as
chairperson; Prof. Manny Loste as vice chairperson; Virador as
executive vice president; Atty. Greg Fabros as vice president for
Luzon; Deduro as vice president for Visayas; Jeppie Ramada as vice
president for Mindanao; and Nathanael Santiago as secretary-general.
Carrying the theme “Manindigan, Magtagumpay!”, the convention’s
opening ceremonies symbolized Bayan Muna’s defiance of slanderous
attacks by government and death squads of state security forces.
Guests included former Vice President Teofisto Guingona, former Sen.
Loren Legarda, House Deputy Majority Leader Del de Guzman, House
Minority Leader Francis Escudero, Las Pinas Rep. Cynthia Villar,
Taguig-Pateros Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano, Anakpawis Rep. Rafael
Mariano, San Juan Mayor JV Ejercito, street parliamentarians RC
Constantino and wife Lourdes, Bagong Alyansang Makabayan Chairperson
Dr. Carol Pagaduan Araullo, former IBP President Joel Cadiz, and
National Artist for Literature Bienvenido Lumbera.
Also in attendance were Venezuelan Ambassador and representatives from
the embassies of France and Japan.
