Matula, Mustapha kick off Senate campaign in Manila

Supporters of labor leader Sonny Matula and Sultan Subair Mustapha gather at Plaza Miranda in Quiapo Church on Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025. (PHOTO FROM SONNY MATULA)

MANILA, Philippines — The labor leader who figured in a political party dispute with the camp of Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KJC) founder Pastor Apollo Quiboloy and the aspirant whose name was belatedly added in the election ballots have officially launched their campaign for a Senate seat.

Lawyer Sonny Matula and Sultan Subair Mustapha, who are running under a Workers Party of the Philippines (WPP) wing as declared by the Commission on Elections (Comelec), began their campaign in Quiapo district.

Matula went to Quiapo Church, while Mustapha also went to Quiapo’s Golden Mosque before kicking off their 90-day campaign.

Both candidates are pushing for higher minimum wage, ending contractualization, strengthening workers rights, and other progressive policies.

“As Matula and Mustapha embark on their 90-day campaign, they call on workers, students, and ordinary Filipinos to join their fight for a just and equitable society—where no Filipino is forced to leave their family for the city or for another country, just to survive,” the WPP said in a statement.

Matula ran but lost in the 2022 national elections. Being the 12th member of former Vice President Leni Robrebo’s senatorial slate when she ran for president, Matula got more than three million votes.

 In January, Matula also challenged Quiboloy’s senatorial bid before the Supreme Court (SC) in a bid to overturn the Comelec decision allowing Quiboloy to run for senator.

Quiboloy, through a representative, filed his certificate of candidacy (COC) for senator and would be running under a faction of the WPP led by the pastor’s lawyer Mark Tolentino.

This triggered a controversy as the Matula-led WPP faction questioned Quiboloy’s COC.

He later filed before the Comelec a petition to disqualify and declare Quiboloy a nuisance candidate, which the poll body denied.

The Comelec had also acknowledged that the WPP has two blocs with each being headed by Matula and Tolentino.

It could also be recalled that on Jan. 14, the SC issued a temporary restraining order in favor of Mustapha, who was previously declared by Comelec as a nuisance candidate.

The printing of over six million ballots already began on Jan. 6, but the Comelec had to discard it since it did not contain the names of Mustapha, which cost the Comelec  P132 million.