IN the opening salvo of the 2013 midterm elections campaign, Kabataan Partylist calls on the youth to “level up” participation in the upcoming polls. “Kabataan: Next Level Na” is the marching call of the first and only youth partylist in Congress, as hundreds of volunteers charge to cities and provinces today to campaign for Kabataan.
“In the past elections, the youth has proven that with a strong nationwide unity, we can win a seat in the House of Representatives. As we look forward to the upcoming elections, we should not only celebrate our achievements and victories, but also see the need to intensify our struggle in the light of the worsening national situation,” said Kabataan Partylist Rep. Raymond Palatino.
Palatino explained that the youth should “level up” the struggle against spiraling tuition increases, exorbitant fees, as well as the growing unemployment among the ranks of the youth. “The Aquino regime has promised change for the nation. But the youth has had enough of his lies – we must level up the struggle to assert our rights,” Palatino added.
“In its two terms in Congress, Kabataan Partylist has led not only the youth but also various marginalized sectors of society in the struggle for accessible education, decent employment and genuine solutions to our country’s problems. Next elections, we are again challenged to assert representation in the legislative branch. And we’ll not only settle for one, but three seats,” said Atty. Terry Ridon, Kabataan Partylist President and first nominee for the 2013 elections.
The youth lawyer is joined by human rights advocate Bai Ali Indayla as second nominee, education and democratic rights advocate Vanessa Faye Bolibol as third nominee, and student leader Victor Lorenzo Villanueva as fourth nominee.
Kabataan Partylist nominees called on the youth to maximize participation in the upcoming polls. “The youth remains to be a decisive force in the Philippine election, being almost a third of the overall voting population in the country,” Ridon explained.
According to data from the National Statistics Office, the number of youths aged 18 to 30 is estimated at 20 million. “In past elections, the nation has already felt the formidable force of the youth vote. This time around, let’s level up our engagement. We call on the youth to be active participants in the upcoming polls,” Ridon said.
“There are greater challenges ahead of us, and we must now put our game faces on and proceed to the next level of our struggle for our rights and representation,” Palatino ended.