WHAT the country needs now is a mother who will carry the light and lead the country out of the darkness, opposition presidential candidate Vice President Leni Robredo said on Sunday night.
“Pag-asa ang nagtutulak sa atin para makita natin na ngayon lumiliwanag na, ngayon liliwanag pa, at ngayong darating na halalan, ang tatanglaw sa buong bayan, ilaw ng tahanan (Hope is what makes us see that it’s not getting bright, that it’s getting brighter and in the coming elections, the one who will bring light is a mother),” the only female candidate said in her closing remarks in the second installment of the Pilipinas Debates 2022: The Turning Point.
“Ang dahilan ng lahat ng ito ay pag-asa. Pag-asa ‘yung tumutulak sa atin na mangarap, na sa dulo ng kadiliman ay may kaliwanagan (The reason for everything is hope. Hope is what prompts us to dream, believing that there is light after darkness),” Robredo added.
The Vice President said the real strength of a presidential campaign does not come from money or political machinery but from the spirit of volunteerism among supporters which is the thing fueling her campaign.
Robredo said the strength of the cause comes from those who still attend rallies after being forbidden, those who spend their own funds for campaign materials, those who go from house to house, convincing others to join them.
“Ang tunay na lakas hindi nanggagaling sa pera o makinarya kung ‘di sa pagkakaisa ng taumbayan (The real strength does not come from money or political machinery but from the people’s unity,” Robredo said. “Nasaksihan ko ito sa mga kababayan natin na araw-araw nagbabanat ng buto para makamtan ang mga pangarap na pinag-trabahuhan nila.
Nasasaksihan ko ‘to sa bawat sakuna na nagba-bayanihan para sumaklolo sa ating kapwa (I’ve witnessed this in our people who work everyday for their dreams. I’ve witnessed this in our people who help others in time of disasters).”
During the debate, the leader of the opposition took the opportunity to denounce turncoatism, saying political convenience weakens the political party system.
The Vice President reiterated her earlier proposal for the passage of a legislation that would stop the prevalent practice of many politicians who jump from one party to another.
“Agree ako na nakakasama ‘yung palipat-lipat ng partido. Nawi-weaken nito ‘yung ating political party system. Nakikita natin na ‘yung mga kandidato ngayon, ‘yung mga tumatakbo, hindi na tinitingan kung ano ‘yung mga pinaglalaban ng partido nila, parating convenience na lang—political convenience ‘yung sinusunod (I agree that changing parties does harm. It weakens our political system. We see the candidates now, and we don’t look at their parties’ principles, political convenience always prevails),” Robredo said.
Robredo likewise pushed for the enactment of a legislation banning political opportunism to strengthen political parties because “it would force politicians to join parties based on principles.”
To strengthen the system more, Robredo broached the idea of reviewing the multi-party system to see what would work better for the current political landscape.
“Dahil sa ilang presidential elections na, minority president ang laging nahahalal dahil napakaraming kandidato. O pwede nating i-revisit— panahon na ba para bumalik tayo sa two-party system (It’s because in a number of presidential elections, a minority president is elected because there are a lot of candidates. Or we can revisit if it’s time to return to two-party system),” she said.
On the West Philippine Sea issue, Robredo maintained that the Philippines should lead claimant nations in pushing for the adoption of a Code of Conduct in the area to avoid conflict since it has the legal upper hand with its arbitral victory over China.
Yesterday, the 12,000-strong “Doctors for Leni and Kiko” thew its support to the Robredo-Pangilinan tandem, citing the Office of the Vice President’s huge role in the government’s pandemic response.
“Kami ay mahigit na 12,000 Pilipinong doktor mula sa iba’t ibang panig ng bansa. Saksi kami sa mga masamang epekto ng maling pamamahala ngayong pandemya na nagdudulot ng matinding kahirapan at pagkamatay ng ating mga health workers at kapwa Pilipino (We are more than 12,000 Filipino doctors from different parts of the country. We are witnesses to the negative effects of bad governance during this pandemic which has caused tremendous poverty and deaths of our health workers and our fellow Filipinos),” the group said in a statement of support read by Dr. Gia Sison in an online press conference.
“There is only one tandem that we see as having these characteristics, concern for Filipinos, and have a clear platform to end the hardships brought about by the pandemic and uplift the lives of every citizen,” said the more than 50 doctors’ organizations.
They thanked the OVP for coming to the aid of both public and private hospitals, particularly the Tarlac Provincial Hospital, at the beginning of the pandemic in 2020.
“As doctors, who face difficulties brought by the pandemic on a daily basis, we wholeheartedly support the candidacy of Leni Robredo and Kiko Pangilinan for president and vice president of the Philippines,” they said.
“We believe that now is the time to be truthful and stand up for life,” they added.
According to the “Doctors for Leni and Kiko”, there are at least 56 doctors’ organizations that have joined them.
Among them are the NCR Doctors for Leni, Albay Doctors for Leni-Kiko, Caring Community for Leni, Doctors for Leni-Kiko Cebu, Eastern Samar Doctors for Leni, Ilocos Norte Doctors for Leni, Ilocos Sur Doctors for Leni-Kiko, Davao Physicians for Leni-Kiko, Barrio Doctors for Leni-Kiko, Robredocs Bulacan, San Lukas Kakampinks, and Palawan Doctors for Leni, among others. — With Gerard Naval
