Poe’s Partido Galing at Puso presents 12 senatorial candidates
Senators Grace Poe Llamanzares and Francis “Chiz” Escudero finally introduced yesterday their 12 senatorial candidates in the May, 2016, elections.
Poe said the 12 senatorial bets of her party, dubbed Partido Galing at Puso (PGP), represent her agenda of inclusive growth, transparency, and global competitiveness.
They include senatorial bets from various political parties and former public servants that are running independently, like her and her vice president. They were chosen based on their competence and integrity, which, she said, “must go hand in hand.”
“In our party, we believe that having the skill and intelligence is not enough. One should have the heart for the poor and marginalized,” Poe said in her speech in Filipino during the official launch held at Club Filipino in
San Juan City.
“But we also know that having a heart is also enough; one should also be efficient with their skill and also have innate competence,” she said.
“They were chosen and not merely picked up from somewhere. They were chosen and none of them were forced to join,” Poe said.
The PGP senatorial candidates are Sen. Ralph Recto, a reelectionist from the Liberal Party, economist, and author of various laws, including the Free Kindergarten Act and the Free Health Insurance for Senior Citizens Act in the Senate; Sen. Vicente “Tito” Sotto III, reelectionist from the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC); Atty. Lorna Kapunan of Aksyon Demokratiko, the political party of the late Sen. Raul Roco; Pasig Rep. Roman Romulo, who hails from a family of respected statesmen and author of the Iskolar ng Bayan and Unifast laws in Congress; Bayan Muna Rep. Neri Javier Colmenares, a human rights lawyer; Valenzuela Rep. Sherwin Gatchalian, a proponent of the feeding program for poor students and author of the Kontra-Hazing Act, Free College Education Act, and Nutri-Skwela Act; actor and former Makati Vice Mayor Edu Manzano; former senator Miguel “Migz” Zubiri, who is known as the “gentleman farmer from Bukidnon”; ACT-CIS Rep. Gen. Samuel Pagdilao, a lawyer and one of the founding fathers of the PNP’s Special Action Force (SAF); former senator and tourism chief Richard Gordon, who now chairs the Philippine Red Cross; former actor and Manila Vice Mayor Isko Moreno; and Susan “Toots” Ople, who heads the Blas Ople Policy Center that helps overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in distress.
Except for Recto, the 11 senatorial candidates were present during the launch. Recto was represented by his son Ryan Christian.
OFWs’ rights
Ople vowed to push for the rights of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) as she took a swipe at the irregularities in airports victimizing returning OFWs and the imposition of the 550 terminal fee which OFWs are supposed to be exempted from.
Gatchalian, Romulo, and Moreno vowed to strengthen the country’s education system and ensure that indigent citizens and youth have access to scholarships and other educational programs.
Zubiri vowed to push job generating measures and reforms in education and health sector. Zubiri resigned as senator before the Senate Electoral Tribunal ruled on an election fraud case filed against him. He said he has not been involved in any corruption case and that he was no thief.
Gordon made an appeal for support as he promised to pursue his desire to improve the state of the country’s education, electoral system, and tourism.
Gatchalian said he will help push economic reform measures and continue the programs he is espousing in Congress. “Kailangan natin ng gobyerno na mabilis umaksyon, hindi puro slogan,” Gatchalian said.
Kapunan said she would pursue reforms in the justice system and push for bills promoting women and children’s welfare.
Pagdilao said he will push for measures addressing the country’s problems on security, corruption, drugs, and peace and order.
Apology to Lacson
Senator Poe apologized to former Sen. Panfilo Lacson for not including him in the Partido Galing at Puso senatorial slate. She said the team is fully aware of Lacson’s capability but they have deemed it better to help lesserknown candidates who, they believe, should be given a chance to run for senator.
Lacson, she said, had already been adopted by the ruling administration Liberal Party as well as by the opposition United Nationalist Alliance (UNA).
“It would really be an honor for him to be part of the slate. We also believe in him, but there are also others that do not have a political party that we hope to give an opportunity,” she said.
She added that he might find it awkward for the other group if he always campaigned with us or if he constantly switched. I understand that,” she added.
Poe also explained why Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez did not make it to the PGP slate, but it was already too late and they had already finalized their slate when Romualdez approached her, she said. Anyway, she said, the congressman is already part of the UNA slate of Vice President Jejomar Binay.
Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) Director Joel Villanueva, she said, is also a strong candidate but is already being carried by the LP ticket of Secretary Manuel “Mar” Roxas II.
The PGP has adopted as guest candidates Richard Gordon, Susan Ople, Juan Miguel Zubiri, and Senator Sotto III who are also part of the UNA slate and Sen. Ralph Recto who is also part of the LP slate.
Colmenares, Kapunan, Pagdilao, Gatchalian, Manzano, Moreno, and Romulo will stick with Poe and Escudero throughout the campaign.
Poe said both she and Escudero did not impose any conditions on their guest candidates and they are free to decide where to campaign – “as they promise to do what they would do when they get elected to the Senate.”
“We don’t want them to experience what we experienced before, when we were banned from speaking to other groups or to some people in different places,” she said. In the 2013 senatorial elections, Poe and Escudero ran with the LP’s Team PNoy, and were dropped from the UNA slate after they failed to appear in their major rallies.