British-Filipinos Gene Alcantara, Eva Macadangdang and Tony De Chavez are standing as bets in the UK general election/Rose Eclarinal, ABS-CBN Europe News Bureau

LONDON - For the first time in many years, 3 British-Filipinos are standing as candidates in the UK general election.

Filipinos have made a name in various sectors in the British society but politics. If any of the 3 candidates win, it will change the course of history of the Filipino diaspora in the UK.  

The 3 veteran community leaders who sailed through UK politics to give voice to ethnic minority groups in Britain are Gene Alcantara, Eva Macadangdang and Tony De Chavez.

“We need to show that we British-Filipinos can do it also because other nationals can: the Blacks can, the Bangladeshis, the Indians, and so on,” said Alcantara who is running as an independent candidate for MP or Member of Parliament in the constituencies of Kilburn and Hampstead.  

He added that he wants Filipinos to be seen as equal partners in achieving social and economic progress in the UK.

“I want minorities recognized as serious participants at all levels in British society. We Filipinos have once been called a hidden community. If they see that someone like me is waiving the flag, standing up to be counted, arguing with people who run this country, yes, they will see that Filipinos are worth paying attention to,” said Alcantara.
 
De Chavez is running for councilor under the Liberal Democrat in Plaistow North Ward in the borough of New Ham. With a political party to back him up, De Chavez is confident he has a good chance of winning. His main goal is for Filipinos to be represented in the council.

“Kung ako ay mai-elect dito, matutulungan ko ang mga Pilipino sa mga issue na di nila mailapit sa ibang tao,” said De Chavez.

Macadangdang is also running for councilor as an Independent candidate in West Ham Ward, also in the borough of New Ham. Topping her list of issues to be addressed if elected, is sustainable peace and order, particularly focusing on knife crimes involving ethnic minority teenagers.
 
“I hope kung makapasok ako sa council as councilor ay makatulong ako to minimize crime,” said Macadangdang.   

To get a seat as MP, Alcantara needs some 15 thousand votes. To win a seat in the local council, Macadangdang and De Chavez need some 2,000 votes each.

The candidates are banking on the support of British-Filipinos in Hampstead and Kilburn and New Ham borough.

The UK general election is set on May 6 where Members of Parliament (MPs) in 646 UK constituencies will be elected. The 646 seats to be contested are for the House of Commons, the lower house of the Parliament. Members of the House of Lords are not elected.  

The Labor Party headed by Gordon Brown is fighting a fourth consecutive term in office as the ruling party. The Labor Party has been the ruling party for the past 13 years with the Conservative Party as its closest rival. Trailing behind the dominant parties is the Liberal Democrat.

The UK general election was called on April 6. The Parliament was dissolved on April 12 for the campaign.

The UK has the so-called "First Past the Post" system of voting whereby the party which wins the most seats in the House of Commons wins the election.