A few days before the election, Tanggol Magsasaka exposed and criticized party-list groups running to supposedly represent farmers in congress. According to the group, farmers and Filipinos should be vigilant about the proliferation of party-lists run by ruling dynasties and anti-farmer interests.

The group condemned this practice and called it a “disturbing trend” where political dynasties, business tycoons, and notorious human rights violators who masquerade as peasant advocates to manipulate public sentiment and secure seats in congress.

It said that this systematic electoral deception betrays the constitutional provision for party-list elections.

Kontra-Daya data shows that 55.1% or 86 out of 156 registered parties for the party-list election are parties estabilished by political dynasties, big businesses, and military or police; are facing corruption cases, have unreliable advocacies, or insufficient publicized information. This includes four out of ten self-proclaimed “pro-farmer” party-lists.

“This is not just election fraud. It is political identity theft on a national scale,” Tanggol Magsasaka spokesperson Ronnie Manalo said.

He added, “When dynasties and landlords pose as defenders of rural-based sectors, they rob farmers not just of their votes but of their rightful voice in shaping policies–perpetuating a cycle of oppression and exclusion.”

Among the party-lists pretending to be pro-farmer is the Magsasaka Party-list, which faces many anomalies and questionable nominees including former PNP Chief Debold Sinas who is implicated in the massacre of farmers. Also on the group’s list is the Agri Party-list dominated by the Lee family who own the land grabbing LKY Group of Companies. Included as well are the Agri and Abono parties.

“In every election cycle, farmers–the backbone of our country and the poorest of the poor–are deceived by those pretending to be farmers,” Manalo added. He said the 2025 election is no different and even worse.

Tanggol Magsasaka called on all voters, especially those in rural areas, to stay vigilant, critical, and organized, and to reject party-lists and candidates who exploit farmers for personal gain and political gain. “If we want real change, we must ensure that genuine peasants and advocates–not landlords and generals–speak for farmers in congress,” Manalo said.