FORMER senator Francis Pangilinan yesterday urged all candidates running in the May 12 elections to stop launching smear campaigns against their rivals and instead just focus on working together to solve the country’s problems.
In an interview with radio dzXL, Pangilinan said the current political noise has contributed nothing but divisiveness among Filipinos.
“Madami nang hidwaan. Tutok lang tayo sa mensahe natin. Let them do their worst. Gawin nila ang pinakamasama nila. Gagawin natin ang pinakamabuti natin dahil ang taong bayan pagod na sa gulo, pagod na dito sa mga bangayan (There are already lots of conflicts so let’s just stick to our message. Let them do their worst. Let just do our best because the people are sick and tired of the political bickering),” he said.
He added that launching smear campaigns or black propaganda against other candidates will not solve the country’s problems.
“Sana tigilan na nila yan at hindi sila nakakatulong (I hope that they stop that because it does not help in any way),” he said.
Pangilinan urged voters to choose the right leaders and reject those spending millions of pesos to discredit other candidates and spread disinformation.
“Yung mga naninira dagdag sa problema ng bansa yan kaya dapat yung mga kandidato na alam natin sila ang pumopondo nito ay huwag na sila piliin. Piliin yung totoo, yung tapat, yung hindi gumagasta ng milyon-milyon para magdagdag sa problema (Candidates who destroy others add to the country’s problems. That’s why voters should not pick these candidates. Choose your leaders who are honest, not those who spend millions of pesos just to add more problems to the country),” he said.
Pangilinan said he is confident that he can work with anyone who will help him achieve his promise of lower food prices, like the time when he was the food czar during the Aquino administration, by fighting for the rights of Filipinos to access fresh, affordable, and nutritious food.
