Bayan Muna second nominee Teddy Casiño today took his oath as
partylist representative in simple yet meaningful ceremonies before
the associate justice who penned the Supreme Court's decision
dismissing the Arroyo administration' s rebellion case against 50
underground and legal leftist personalities, including the Batasan 6.
Associate Justice Antonio Carpio swore Casiño into office at 3:00 pm
today at the Supreme Court's Dignitaries Lounge.
Casiño, 38, was accompanied by his wife Karapatan spokesperson Ruth
Cervantes and other members of the Casiño family.
In a statement, Casiño thanked voters for renewing Bayan Muna's
mandate in the last elections. "We rededicate ourselves and our party
to pursuing our program of New Politics despite attempts to annihilate
us politically and physically. We will push for reforms for the basic
masses and the middle class who bear the brunt of political, economic
and social crises under the current dispensation. "
He also expressed hope that the Supreme Court will give way to the
petition for certiorari which the partylist group filed against the
Commission on Elections that aims to prohibit the election body from
implementing the First Party Rule.
"At the very least, Bayan Muna deserves to obtain the current maximum
of three seats after having obtained more than six percent of total
partylist votes. Unfortunately, the First Party Rule negates the
popular mandate we won fair and squre," said Casiño.
Bayan Muna contends that the First Party Rule and the three-seat cap
are illegal and unconstitutional and violates the principles of
proportional representation.
International law expert and human rights lawyer Neri Javier
Colmenares is Bayan Muna's third nominee.
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