Despite from coming from a family of politicians, John Carlos de los Reyes admits that he’s not a veteran in politics. He is the nephew of fellow senatorial candidate Richard Gordon, his grandfather is Olongapo’s first elected mayor; his grandmother, who first convinced him to run, is a former mayor of Olongapo and an assemblywoman, and James Gordon, Jr., the brother of Sen. Gordon is the incumbent mayor of Olongapo.
However, he greatly disproves political dynasties in spite of coming from a family of politicians. “For 23 years, the provision (against political dynasties) has been violated. I will communicate this to the whole bureaucracy and to the people so that finally we’ll have the implementing rules to give life to this provision.”
His campaign includes preferential options for the poor, the principles of solidarity and subsidiary, uplifting the dignity of the Filipino people, upholding the rights of workers, and allowing small units of government to decide on how to allocate their budget, without constraints from higher offices.
John Carlos De los Reyes finished his Bachelor of Arts in Theology at the Franciscan University of Steubenville, which is considered as one of the most orthodox Catholic Universities in the United States, and then took up post-graduate studies in Public Administration from the University of the Philippines. Afterwards he finished his law degree at Saint Louis University in Baguio City.
Platforms/Advocacy of John Carlos de los Reyes
Winnability is a criterion of the traditional politicians and their personality-based parties.
The objective of the Ang Kapatiran Party is different. The party wants to reform Philippine politics by participating in it in a morally-principled manner. They want to show the people that upright leaders can participate in politics and eventually win and make a difference. They have to start somewhere.
John Carlos de los Reyes is running on a platform of “radical” and “transformative” politics that would abolish the graft-ridden pork barrel system, do away with entrenched political dynasties, impose gun control, and “remove all forms of gambling.”
“We are introducing prophetic politics, something that is radical and controversial and requires self-sacrifice, and for that to happen, we must do the opposite of what traditional politicians are doing.”