VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE
5. LOPEZ, MANNY SD
WORKERS AND PEASANTS PARTY

Manny SD Lopez is an economist and management professional touting decades of local and international experience. He headed Empowered People’s Initiative and Reform Movement Alliance or ePIRMa, which advocated for people’s initiative as a means of charter change, and the 2.22 Coalition, which sought government reforms and the mass resignation of top officials in favor of a “transition government” during the administration of President Benigno Aquino III.

Lopez said that he was prompted to run at the urging of the Workers and Peasants Party's late chairman, Jose Malvar Villegas. He is campaigning on a platform of boosting economic recovery through lending and direct investments, reform of the people’s initiative mechanism and improving government efficiency and competency as an anti-corruption measure.

If elected, Lopez says he would seek either the foreign affairs or trade and industry post, to help the president efficiently and effectively run the country.

Platform and Policy
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The candidate's top priorities if elected to office, tracked against previous promises and accomplishments, if any

Select a policy profile below to view more details
 
Three-pronged economic recovery plan
 
System change and structural reform
 
Agricultural reform
 
Disaster management
 
Education reform
Related Policy Proposal:
  1. Create a New Omnibus Investment Code, to improve conduct of business, enhance competitive factors and attract more foreign direct investments
  2. Pass a bankruptcy law to help recovery of businesses badly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic
  3. Low-interest loans with easy terms made accessible to MSMEs, entrepreneurs, workers, farmers and professionals
Previous Platform:
Track Record / Accomplishment; Date:
Deviation from Previous Platform:
Related Policy Proposal:
  1. Use direct democracy principles to amend the people’s initiative law with implementing rules and regulations to make it a functional legislative tool
  2. Shift to parliamentary system adopting features of the French model
  3. Undertake public finance management reform to plug leaks in the government’s financial system, professionalize and establish it as a system-based anti-corruption measure
  4. Fully implement e-Government systems to improve bureaucratic proficiency, monitoring and accountability
  5. Renationalize public utilities, particularly power and water utilities to lower rates, protect consumer rights and welfare
  6. Support the Supreme Court ruling on Mandanas, Garcia, Villegas, et al. case reallocating up to 40% of national government revenues and devolution of essential public services to local government units
Previous Platform:
Similar remarks made during interviews in 2016 and 2019
Track Record / Accomplishment; Date:
Formed e-PIRMA and 2.22 Coalition to protest the administration of Benigno Aquino III and promote charter change through people’s initiative
Deviation from Previous Platform:
Related Policy Proposal:
  1. Integrated agro-industrial-resource development program to enhance the competitive advantage of MSMEs, agri-fishery, mining and strategic industries.
  2. Optimize local production, attract more investments to generate jobs, livelihoods and opportunities nationwide
Previous Platform:
Track Record / Accomplishment; Date:
Deviation from Previous Platform:
Related Policy Proposal:
Science-based and cost-effective disaster and pandemic management program with pragmatic public health safety protocol
Previous Platform:
Track Record / Accomplishment; Date:
Deviation from Previous Platform:
Related Policy Proposal:
Improve quality of education in all levels, aligned with industry needs, socio-cultural values and national development goals
Previous Platform:
Track Record / Accomplishment; Date:
Deviation from Previous Platform:
Major Accomplishments
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The candidate's top five accomplishments and contributions for the last 15 years or so


Private Sector

Lopez has focused his efforts in the last decade in advocacy work, primarily pushing for government reforms including charter change through people’s initiative and anti-corruption measures.

National Advisory Board of the Labor Party of the Philippines
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Position/Date
Vice chairman
Status
Current
2.22 Coalition
Read More
Position/Date
Head, at least 2015
Status
The group now supports Lopez in his vice presidential bid.
Empowered People’s Initiative and Reform Movement Alliance (ePIRMA)
Read More
Position/Date
Head, 2014
Status
Inactive
Actions and/or Proceedings
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Actions and/or proceedings pending against or resolved in courts or tribunals involving the candidate, based on publicly available information

There is no publicly available information on this matter at this time. Requested information from the candidate was not provided.
Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth
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Also known as SALN, this document is a declaration of one's personal finances. Philippine Law requires the SALN to be submitted by all public officials and employees to the Ombudsman. Public officials and employees may opt to voluntarily disclose their SALN to the public.

Since he has not held an official government position, Lopez is not required to disclose his Statement of Assets Liabilities and Net Worth per the latest rules set by the Civil Service Commission.
Campaign Details
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Key details about the candidate's campaign

Campaign Manager:
Alliances and Endorsements:
Party History:
Workers and Peasants Party
(a.k.a. Labor Party of the Philippine)
2021-present
Major Donors
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Candidate's major donors and campaign funding sources

There is no publicly available information on this matter at this time. Requested information from the candidate was not provided.
Major Advocacies
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The candidate's top advocacies in the last 15 years or so

 
Charter change
 
Public finance management reform
 
Opposition to Bangsamoro Basic Law
 
2.22 Coalition formed
 
ePIRMA formed
Charter change
Only through people’s initiative under the 1987 Constitution, once logistical issues are managed
Position/Date
2017
Status
Lopez continues to support reforms.
Public finance management reform
Key measure to promote economic development, equitable progress, enhance efficiency and curb systemic corruption
Position/Date
2016
Status
Lopez continues to support reforms.
Opposition to Bangsamoro Basic Law
A clear and present danger to Philippine sovereignty and territorial integrity
Position/Date
2015
Status
2.22 Coalition
Formed in early 2015 by civil society groups to protest the failures of Benigno Aquino’s administration, call for mass resignations of top officials and support a transition government. It claimed to be non-partisan.
Position/Date
Head, at least 2015
The group now supports Lopez in his vice presidential bid.
ePIRMA
Formed to promote people’s initiative efforts and aligned with other civic society groups in various coalitions including against pork-barrel allocations
Position/Date
Head, 2014
Inactive
Personal Details
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Basic information on the candidate's family, background and work experience

Name to appear on the ballot: LOPEZ, MANNY SD
Full Name: Emmanuel Sto. Domingo Lopez
Birthdate: (63 years old as of election day)
Birthplace: Moncada, Tarlac
Residence: Quezon City, Metro Manila
Religion:
Languages Spoken: Filipino, English
Parents: Rizalino Espejo Lopez, engineer-farmer, former Administrator of the National Electrification Administration
Olivia Pamintuan Sto. Domingo-Lopez, public school teacher turned entrepreneur
Siblings:
Marital Status:
Children: Six children
Education:

• Business Economics Program, University of Asia and the Pacific Juris Doctor, Pacific Coast University

•Business Law, Los Angeles City College

•MBA, University of California, Los Angeles

•Political Science and Economics, University of the Philippines - Diliman, 1981

Work Experience:

•Vice Chairman, National Advisory Board, Labor Party of the Philippines (a.k.a. The Workers and Peasants Party

•CEO, CISCI Technology Solutions, 2019

•Managing Director, The Lincoln Place

•President and General Manager at NFA Grainscor

Appendix
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Learn more about this candidate

Platform of Government
 
Social Issues
Related Policy Proposal:
Independent foreign policy leveraged on multilateral alliance initiatives and cost-effective development of credible external defense capability in air, land, sea, sub-sea and cyberspace
Previous Platform; Date:
Track Record / Accomplishment; Date:
Deviation from Previous Platform: