ACT Teachers Representative France Castro at the Quezon City Department of Justice on December 4, 2023, for the preliminary investigation into the grave threats complaint against ex-president Rodrigo Duterte. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News/File

MANILA -- Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) Representative France Castro on Wednesday announced that she will run for senator in the 2025 midterm elections.

In her speech during the 42nd anniversary of ACT, she said that her decision was a response to an open letter she received from teachers, urging her to take the battle for education reforms to the Senate.

Being the "voice of teachers" in Congress, Castro also said that she wanted to continue pushing for "genuine reforms" in a higher capacity as a public servant.

"Gusto natin through the Makabayan, magkaroon ng alternative din sa eleksyon. Hindi tayo nasasapatan sa nangyayaring bangayan lang ng mga naghaharing uri: Marcos vs. Duterte, at iba pa," she said in her speech. 

"May ibang oposisyon, pero gusto natin isulong ang tunay na pagbabago, kaya gusto natin magsulong ng isang Makabayan na alternatibo na tatakbo sa Senado. Tinatanggap ko po ang hamon ng Alliance of Concerned Teachers at ng ating Sambayanan," she added.

Castro, who has been a vocal critic of the Dutertes, made the announcement a day after Vice President Sara Duterte confirmed that her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, and brothers Davao Congressman Paolo Duterte and Davao City  Sebastian Duterte, will all run for Senate in 2025.

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At the House of Representatives, Castro filed bills seeking for a legislated wage hike, salary upgrade for teachers, teaching supply allowance for public school teachers, social pension increase for indigent senior citizens, and reforms in the education sector. She also filed a resolution seeking to investigate the alleged extrajudicial killings under the Duterte administration.

Last October, Castro filed a complaint against former President Duterte for grave threats after allegedly being threatened and red-tagged on television, but the Department of Justice dismissed the complaint. -- with Vivienne Gulla, ABS-CBN News

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