‘I will vote for either Miriam or Grace’ – Señeres

Notwithstanding a scant chance of winning, presidential candidate and OFW Family Rep. Roy Seneres will not write his name in the ballot but will instead vote for either of his two lady rivals - poll leader and neophyte Senator Grace Poe or the equally popular Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago.

Seneres, a former diplomat and chairman of the National Labor Relations Commission, disclosed in a media forum that he still believes in “chivalry” and does not subscribe to the habit of electing oneself to a coveted position.

The first term lawmaker said he wants the electorate to determine whether or not he deserves to be president of the country.

“I will vote for either Miriam or Grace Poe. I am observing chivalry, so I am choosing (either of) the two ladies,” Señeres told reporters during the Usaping Balita News Forum at Serye Cafe in Quezon City.

Señeres said he is joining the presidential race because he believes nobody among the his rivals could put an end to the miseries of the 15 million locally hired contractual workers.

He also lamented the failure of government to “give the OFWs their just share in governance.”

“Somebody has to stop the big corporations from violating the law against contractualization. They have been reaping undeserved profits at the expense of our workers,” Seneres said. Nemesis of contractualization “Contractualization is the main reason why the gap between the rich and the poor continues to widen,” he stressed.

When reminded by 1BAP Partylist Rep. Silvestre Bello III that he did not sign as co-author of a bill that outlaws contractualization of labor, Señeres said there is no longer a need to pass a law because the prohibition is already provided under the Labor Code.

“The Labor Code has declared contractualization unlawful, it is under Article 288 and it is penalized with fines and imprisonment of up to three years,” he said.

Seneres, who was cited for defending OFW Sarah Balabagan from the death penalty in Saudi Arabia, said the plight of OFW’s and the Aquino government’s continued failure to provide them protection are also his motivation for seeking the presidency.

“I decided to run and hopefully to win the elections for the sake of 10 million OFWs heroes of the Republic. I am also running for the former OFWs, many of them either jobless or sick with no help from the government,” the former ambassador said.