Why must Filipinos vote for them? Presidential bets make promises for May polls

Presidential candidates in the May 2022 polls attend the presidential forum organized by the KBP. Screenshot from the forum.

MANILA, Philippines —Five presidential hopefuls have made promises for the May elections, and the overriding message across them is that they pledge to help fix the country and get it back on track.

Asked why people should choose him as president, labor leader Leody de Guzman said at the “Panata sa Bayan” presidential forum hosted by the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP) on Friday that he would bring new politics to the table, noting that the Philippines have a history of electing elitists who neglect the poor once in office.

“I should be elected president because we’ve tried all kinds of presidents in the past – those candidates from the top, those billionaires, those elitists, but nothing ever gets done because they’re favored only by the rich and capitalists,” De Guzman said in Filipino.

He reminded voters that rich people accumulate wealth while poor people work hard, urging them to vote for a leader who has not made overly ambitious promises and has struggled for the same platform for 38 years.

Mayor Isko Moreno said that he is the same as de Guzman and Senator Manny Pacquiao, another presidential candidate. Both of these candidates rose from the ranks of the poor to achieve remarkable success. Because of his experience, the local chief executive said that he knows how to meet the needs of marginalized groups.

“What we need is to find a real solution, quick action. I am your countryman, your applicant. I can get things done, I can fulfill your job requirements and provide results and proof. I must do so,” Moreno said.

On the other hand, Senator Panfilo Lacson assured the public that when he steps out of office, the country would be in a much better place than when he was elected.

“Ito ang aking panata sa bayan (This is my promise to the people): towards the end of my term as president, there should be no doubt in the mind of every Filipino that we are better off than when we started; that our people trust their government much better than ever before,” he said.

Pacquiao, meanwhile, argued that competence was not the only factor in choosing the right candidate, as many bright people before had failed to lift the country out of poverty.

“Our country has many leaders who were considered smart, yet how do our fellow citizens feel about the trials they went through? Just as I wanted my family and relatives to be free from poverty, so did I want the entire Filipino people to be free from poverty,” Pacquiao said in Filipino.

“‘I will ensure that this is done, especially in the fight against corruption. I want all the government thieves in jail who are causing the suffering of Filipinos,” he added.

Vice President Leni Robredo highlighted her work in the past six years, noting that she has not backed out from any challenge — from the Marawi siege to the drug war, the COVID-19 crisis to other natural disasters calamities her office has responded.

“True leadership is stepping up and showing up, with or without elections, candidates or not. In my role as vice president, I have proven this by demonstrating honest and consistent service, not just in words, but in action,” she claimed.

“It is often said that you are weak because you are a woman. I have never missed a challenge, whether it was the Marawi siege, the fight against drugs, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, all the typhoons that passed by, or COVID. Whenever we are needed, we step up, help, and fight,” she added.

Robredo also reiterated a daring prediction that she made in 2016 when she was going against former senator Bongbong Marcos in the vice presidential race — that the last man standing is a woman.

“I’m ready to take on the role of president, and I’m confident that in 2022, a woman will still be the last man standing,” she added.

The five presidential aspirants mentioned — De Guzman, Moreno, Lacson, Pacquiao, and Robredo — appeared via teleconference during the forum, which was aired over 300 television and radio stations and multimedia channels of KBP members.

The exception was former senator Bongbong Marcos who did not attend due to a conflict in schedule.

READ: LOOK: Korina Sanchez interviews Bongbong Marcos as he skips KBP forum

According to the latest Pulse Asia surveys, Marcos is leading the presidential race with 53 percent of the respondents picking him, followed by Robredo (20 percent), Moreno (eight percent), Pacquiao (eight percent), Lacson (six percent), and De Guzman (0.004 percent).

READ: Presidential aspirants mixed on issue of reclamation

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