The ABA is a coalition of peasant organizations which have always advocated dialogue and understanding with the police and military forces so that these can best perform their constitutional task to protect the people and the State, maintain peace and order, and secure the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Philippines, and so that they may eliminate abuse on the part of some of their officers and men. To help achieve these aims, among others, in a formal and more effective manner, the ABA has been organized and registered with the COMELEC as a sectoral coalition of peasant organizations for participation in the party-list system.

ABA’s List of Nominees

The ABA has submitted to the COMELEC its own list of six (6) nominees. They are:

First: Leonardo Q. Montemayor – Peasant Sector Representative in the House of Representatives; Secretary-General of the Federation of Free Farmers (FFF); Author of many laws/bills for the well-being and benefit of farmers, fisherfolk, workers, small-scale miners, the urban poor, and cooperatives

Second: Feliciano R. Matienzo – Founder/President of the Kalipunan ng mga Samahan ng Mamamayan (KASAMA); peasant sector representative in the Presidential Agrarian Reform Council (PARC); Vice-Chairman of the Center for Agricultural and Rural Development (CARD); Alternate Peasant Sectoral Representative in the Social Reform Council.

Third: Dioscoro A. Granada – Chairman of the Federation of Cooperative Banks of the Philippines (BANGKOOP); Representative of federations of many farmers cooperatives in Mindanao; and Board Member of the Provincial Cooperative Union of Davao.

Fourth: Romeo C. Royandoyan – National Executive Director of the Philippine Peasant Institute (PPI); Member of the Executive Committee of the Convergence for Community-Centered Area Development (CONVERGENCE); and Board Member of the Foundation for a Sustainable Society, Inc. (FSSI).

Fifth: Nelia G. Cid – President of the Chamber of Small Scale Mining Industry of the Philippines (CSSMIP); President of the Cordillera Women’s Development Foundation (CWDF); Vice-Chairman of the National Social Action Council (NASAC); and Member of the Philippine Constitution Association (PHILCONSA).