#16 Neri Colmenares

Neri Javier Colmenares (born on December 4, 1959 in Bacolod City, Negros Occidental) is a human rights lawyer and activist. He served as Bayan Muna representative from 2007 to 2016.

He is the chairperson of Bayan Muna and the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers, both of which have been red-tagged under the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte.

Colmenares is a vocal critic of controversial policies and measures of the Duterte administration, including the killings in the campaign against illegal drugs and the anti-terrorism law. He is a petitioner and counsel in one of the 37 petition challenging the constitutionality of the law before the Supreme Court.

This is Colmenares’ third senatorial bid after losing in the 2019 and 2016 elections. | Rappler

Issues and Stands

Safe re-opening of schools and transition to face-to-face classes

Ensure that quality internet is available to students and work to provide subsidies to ensure they can keep up in their classes (i.e., load or laptop subsidies)

Integrate Human Rights and Peace Education into basic and secondary education curriculum

Junking of Anti-Terror Law

Demand that campaigns declare online campaign expenditures beyond their official social media accounts (i.e., influencers engaged, unofficial groups or pages tapped, etc.)

Increased participation of the youth in local and national governance by allowing them to influence & craft legislation

Protection of Indigenous Peoples’ rights and support their increased participation in cultural spaces

Legalization of Divorce

Increase national minimum wage to P750

Increase budget for farming and fishing support/infrastructure

Enact the right to an adequate food bill or the Zero Hunger Bill

Continue support for the rice tariffication law

Seeking climate change accountability from better developed, high-pollutant countries

Increase financial and technical support for local climate adaptation and mitigation projects

Support for Open Pit Mining

Pass an Alternative Mining Act in accordance with human rights norms, standards, and obligations

Increase funding for mental health support

Decriminalizing Abortion

Reparations for Martial Law Victims & Retrieval of Marcos’ Ill-gotten Wealth

Criminalizing of Vote-buying

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