Honasan: Fight poverty to end criminality

UNITED Nationalist Alliance (UNA) vice presidential bet Sen. Gregorio “Gringo” Honasan on Wednesday called for sobriety - lence, saying that the only way to put an end to criminality would be to solve its root cause—poverty.

“Ubusin man natin ang lahat ng pinaghihinalaan ng krimen, hindi pa rin ito ang tunay na solusyon sa problema. Dahil ang tunay na problema ay kahirapan. Kaya para masugpo natin ang krimen, sugpuin muna natin ang kahirapan [Wiping out all suspected criminals is not the real solution to the problem. The real problem is poverty. So for us to combat poverty],” the former military man said in an advertisement.

The video ad shows the capture and torture of a minor suspected of committing a crime.

The ad asks the viewer, “Paano kunganganakmoaynapaghinalaanlang,dadamputinnaagad atbubugbuginparasapilitang umamin?Paanokungsaanakmo mangyariangganito [What if your child is only a suspect, he will be arrested just the same and then tortured to make him confess. What if this happens to your child]?”

Honasan, set to become crime czar under a Binay administration, believes that the problem of violence cannot be solved by even more violence.

“How do you solve an idea for rebellion, cessation, insurgency, criminality and terrorism? [You that is] good government. Address the root causes: social injustice, poverty, hunger, ignorance, home vice presidential debate.

“We must recognize right to life, [and solve the need for] basic services: food, clothing, shelter, education, health services. That [is how we can] begin to solve the problem,” Honasan explained.