The 200,000-strong Federation of Free Farmers (FFF) has declared its support for Sorsogon Gov. Chiz Escudero, who is seeking a fresh six-year term in Senate come May 9 Elections.
According to FFF, considered one of the biggest mass-based organizations of farmers, fisherfolks, and agricultural tenants and workers in the Philippines, Escudero deserved to be elected again to the Senate for his advocacy to promote the interests of the agriculture sector.
FFF board chair Leonardo Montemayor, who was secretary of agriculture for the Arroyo administration, announced on Tuesday the endorsement of Escudero by the FFF, described by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations as the most “effective non-government organizations of rural workers in the Philippines.”
According to Montemayor, the board’s decision was based on the senatorial candidate’s “outstanding record of public service and firm support for our agricultural sector, especially on critical concerns like Philippine membership in the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) free trade agreement.”
It will be recalled that Escudero, a veteran legislator, has urged his former colleagues in Senate to carefully review the terms stipulated under the RCEP before ratifying the trade pact.
He has asked the senators to assess the long-term impact of the RCEP on agriculture, particularly on farmers and fisherfolks, considered the poorest in the Philippines.
Montemayor also said that groups belonging to the FFF are opposing the ratification of the trade deal because local producers are unprepared and not ready to compete under
RCEP’s free trade regime.
According to Montemayor, Escudero and four other candidates the FFF is endorsing have pledged to work closely with the group in “setting up honest-to-goodness safety nets and competitiveness-enhancement measures in agriculture and reversing the government’s reliance on food importation instead of domestic production.”
The FFF is the first NGO to support Escudero’s bid to return to the Senate. Several party-list groups, namely Ang Kabuhayan, ARISE, An Waray, Kusog Bikolandia and Magdalo, have already declared that they are endorsing him.
The tandems of Senator Ping Lacson and Senate President Tito Sotto, Vice President Leni Robredo and Senator Kiko Pangilinan, and Senator Manny Pacquiao and Rep. Lito Atienza have adopted Escudero in their senatorial slates last year.
UniTeam vice-presidential candidate and incumbent Davao City Mayor Inday Sara Duterte and mayors from CALABARZON (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon) and Eastern Samar who belong to the League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP) have likewise endorsed Escudero.