Akbayan Citizens' Action Party
President	Rafaela David
Chairman	Gio Tingson
Secretary-General	Blenda R. Penafiel
Founded	January 1998
Headquarters	52 Masikap Street, Barangay Pinyahan, Quezon City
Membership	100,000
Ideology	Participatory politics Progressivism Democratic socialism[1][2] Social democracy[2]
Political position	Centre-left[2]
National affiliation	TRoPa (2022) Otso Diretso (2019) Koalisyon ng Daang Matuwid (2016) Team PNoy (2013)
Regional affiliation	Network of Social Democracy in Asia[3]
International affiliation	Progressive Alliance
Colors	Red   Green   Purple
Slogan	Sa Akbayan, Panalo ang Mamamayan! ("With Akbayan, the People Win!")
Seats in the Senate	1 / 24
Seats in the House of Representatives	0 / 304
City and municipal councilors	10 / 16,812
Website
akbayan.org.ph

The Akbayan Citizens' Action Party, better known as Akbayan (lit. 'the escorting of each other' or 'the support for one another' or 'the collective putting of an arm over the shoulders of another'), is a democratic socialist and progressive^[4] political party in the Philippines. Akbayan is noted as a leading member of the progressive movement in the Philippines,^[5][2] having been formed in 1998 by a variety of progressive political organizations.

There are approximately 100 thousand members of Akbayan, with a pool of voter interest ranging anywhere between 150 thousand to 1 million people (at most 2.5% of Philippine active voters).

History

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Akbayan was formally founded in 1998 by different civil society organizations and various left-leaning organizations from the country's social democratic, democratic socialist, and Marxist traditions with the intent of capturing state power through parliamentary struggle.

Akbayan has been critical of abuses committed by some members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) against fellow activists.^[6] It has also been critical of the Communist Party of the Philippines, particularly its actions in the countryside against peasant groups and communities and what these groups and communities see as the Maoist group's extortion activities. Due to its stance against right-wing extremism (from some elements of the AFP) and the Maoist far-left (CPP–NPA–NDF), Akbayan has been a target of both political groups.^[7]

Akbayan members protesting the granting of bail to former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo who was then facing plunder charges

During the administration of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Akbayan was among the opposition groups repressed by the government. It was also during this time that Akbayan suffered its lowest number of votes, with just over 400,000 votes in 2007. In 2009, Akbayan supported the presidential candidacy of then Senator Benigno Simeon Aquino III. Fueled by the popular discontent with the outgoing administration of Macapagal-Arroyo, Aquino won the presidency by a large margin. This was also the first time that Akbayan was able to breach the 1 million vote mark, its best performance to that date. Despite the vote increase, however, it failed to secure three seats in the House of Representatives owing to a Supreme Court decision which ensured only the leading party list (Ako Bicol at that time) in the election would secure three seats.

Akbayan mobilization in front of the Chinese Consular Office to protest China's incursions into the Philippines' Exclusive Economic Zone

Akbayan has been noted to oppose the increased incursions of the People's Republic of China (PRC) naval and coast guard vessels into Philippine territorial waters and within the country's 200-nautical mile Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).^[8][9] In 2016, the party allied itself with the Liberal Party and the Magdalo Group, supporting Mar Roxas and Leni Robredo's campaigns and criticizing other candidates. After the election, it joined the Magnificent 7, a group of Liberal Party and Magdalo members. The party publicly criticized several policies of the Duterte government, including Duterte's handling of the Philippine Drug War and the TRAIN Law.

Akbayan has affiliate groups that represent government employees, women workers, migrants, as well as members of the LGBT community. The party's official website states that Akbayan is an activist organisation "and proud of it", and that it "vehemently condemn(s) torture, assassination, and other violent acts that undermine human rights and freedoms regardless of whoever commits them".^[10]

Ideology

The party includes both democratic socialists^[1] and social democrats^[4] as members. While Akbayan's political-economic platform rests on the democratic-socialist foundation which the ruling PDP–Laban ostensibly shares,^[11] the former differs greatly from the latter with regard to civil rights and law enforcement.

Legislative record

Akbayan members calling for the passage of the CARPER Law

Creative demonstration of support for the passage of the Reproductive Health Law in 2012

• Republic Act 9189 – The Overseas Absentee Voting Act of 2003^[12]
• Republic Act 9481 – Right to Labor Self-Organization Law^[13]
• Republic Act 9502 – Cheaper and Quality Medicines Law^[14]
• Republic Act 9700 – Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program Extension with Reforms (CARPER) Law^[15]
• Republic Act 10354 – Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Law^[16]
• Republic Act 10351 – Restructuring the Excise Tax on Alcohol and Tobacco or The Sin Tax Law^[17]
• Republic Act 10368 – Human Rights Victims Reparation and Recognition Act of 2013^[18]
• Republic Act 10667 – Philippine Competition Act^[19]
• Republic Act 10028 – Expanded Breastfeeding Promotion Law^[20]
• Republic Act 10742 – Sangguniang Kabataan Reform Law
• Republic Act 10643 – Graphic Health Warning Law^[21]
• Republic Act 10932 – Anti-Hospital Deposit Act^[22]
• Republic Act 11036 – Mental Health Act^[23]
• Republic Act 11166 – HIV and AIDS Policy Act of 2018^[24]

Electoral performance

References

External links

• Official website
• Akbayan on Facebook
• Akbayan on Twitter