Hontiveros: We’ll submit to poll results for now, but fight for independent Senate

Sen. Risa Hontiveros. INQUIRER.NET PHOTO/CATHY MIRANDA

MANILA, Philippines–For now, Senator Risa Hontiveros is submitting herself to the partial and unofficial results of the midterm elections, but vowed to question the irregularities that afflicted the polls.

“We will persevere. We will submit to the results of the elections for now, but we will question the irregularities and we will never give in to despair,” Hontiveros said on Wednesday. “If anything, we will work harder, strive further and serve better.”

The senator chose to look on the bright side, as she extended her congratulations to the candidates who were triumphant in their run, such as former Partylist Representative Kaka Bag-ao, who won the gubernatorial seat in Dinagat; Alvin Dizon, who won a seat as Cebu City councilor; Vico Sotto on being proclaimed as the new mayor of Pasig, and other party mates who won in the local elections.

She expressed no regrets campaigning for the opposition, such as her very own Akbayan and the Otso Diretso slate.

She also vowed to work for the protection of the country’s democracy as they wait for the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to address the issues that marred the elections: the serious cases of vote-buying in the party-list system, the seven hour delay in the poll body’s server and the breakdown of many vote counting machines (VCMs) that disenfranchised a large number of voters.

Small their number may be, Hontiveros added they will continue to strive for an independent Senate, as it is the people’s last line of defense.

The members of the minority in the Senate amounts to four, including Hontiveros herself, Senators Franklin Drilon and Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan and detained Senator Leila de Lima. Senatorial candidate Bam Aquino, who is currently 14th in the senatorial race as per unofficial PPCRV results, may bring the number to five if he makes it to the Magic 12. Comelec’s partial and official count, however, shows Aquino is 12th in the race.

“The Senate is the people’s last line of defense within the government against continuing attempts to undermine our democracy and attack our human rights,” she said. “The opposition in the Senate will continue to build issue-based alliances with our colleagues to defend and promote the people’s cherished freedoms and democracy.”

Lastly, she called on the Filipino people to put an end to vote-shaming and stop calling fellow voters stupid and idiotic.

“Huwag po nating tawaging bobo at tanga ang mga kapwa nating botante. May dahilan ang kanilang pagpili. Ang hamon sa ating lahat ay alamin muli ang mga kadahilanang ito.”

We must humbly listen, appealed Hontiveros, and understand and respond to the reasons behind the voters’ choices.

“Amid the noise of violence, we must create and nurture more spaces for democratic dialogue and conversations. Each dialogue opens possibilities for new understanding.” (Editor: Jonathan P. Vicente)