Isko Moreno open to more Senate bets joining his slate
Manila Mayor Isko Moreno (FILE PHOTO)
MANILA, Philippines — Aksyon Demokratiko standard bearer and Manila Mayor Isko Moreno is not discounting the possibility of more Senate bets joining his official slate with the inclusion of former Agrarian Reform secretary John Castriciones in his list of senatoriables.
“Why not? We’ll never know. Hanggang labindalawa lang naman eh. Basta kung sila tutulong sa atin, tutulungan kami eh bakit naman hindi e ako naman ang nanawagan na sana tulungan tayo ng ating mga kababayan at bigyan tayo ng tsansa at pagkakataong makapaglingkod sa kanila,” Moreno told reporters this week during a campaign sortie in Marikina City.
Since the start of the national campaign last Feb. 8, Moreno, his vice presidential candidate Doc Willie Ong and Aksyon Demokratiko senatorial hopefuls Dr. Carl Balita, Samira Gutoc, and Jopet Sison have been on the campaign trail almost six days a week doing motorcades and town hall meetings.
“Basta tayo any help will do. Tayo naman eh talagang nangangalap ng lahat ng uri ng suporta. Endorsement ni Juan dela Cruz, endorsement ni Maria, endorsement ng mga grupo, endorsement ng mga institusyon and so on and so forth. I’m hoping it (would be) soon but you know we have to meet as a team and we will consult each other, then after that ipaaalam namin sa inyo,” Moreno said.
Ernest Ramel, chairman of Aksyon Demokratiko, said the addition of Castriciones in Mayor Isko’s senatorial line-up is very much welcome and it is a concrete indication that more personalities from the other side of the political fence are joining Team Isko.
“Former DAR Secretary John Castriciones is a welcome addition to the team. He will not only bring his integrity, experience and knowledge in helping out our farmers who are one of those closest to Mayor Isko Moreno Domagoso’s heart. Our standard bearer has repeatedly said that the lack of food security is a threat to national security,” Ramel said.
“Dagdag pa, ang pagsama ni Sec. John ay patunay ng patuloy ng paglawak at paglakas ng suporta ng mamamayang Pilipino sa Tunay na Solusyon, Mabilis Umaksyon na liderato ni Mayor Isko Moreno Domagoso. Dumadami na ang #SwitchToIsko,” he said.
Ramel, however, said Castriciones can’t be officially adopted by Aksyon Demokratiko since he has a different vice-presidential candidate. The 60-year old Castriciones, the president of the Mayor Rodrigo Roa Duterte-National Executive Coordinating Committee, is running for senator under the Partido Demokratikong Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban).
Castriciones joined Moreno and the Aksyon Demokratiko senatorial bets during their three-day campaign swing in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) from February 20 to 22.
The former Duterte-appointed Cabinet secretary said it was his decision backed by his party to join Moreno and the rest of the Aksyon Demokratiko in their sorties in BARMM. He also reiterated that Mayor Isko is his choice as the next president of the country.
Moreno previously pointed out to Castriciones that among the programs spelled out in his 10-Pointe Bilis Kilos Economic Agenda is the continuation of President Duterte’s Build, Build, Build program, this time with focus on building more public housing, more public hospitals, more public schools, to create more jobs and stimulate more businesses to raise the quality of life of Filipinos.
The 47-year-old presidential candidate also vowed to support and protect farmers and the country’s food producers, as his Economic Agenda also focuses on agriculture as one of the economic pillars to accelerate human and economic growth.
Agriculture is one of the main pillars of Moreno’s 10-point Economic Agenda, which will be his administration’s “North Star” to accelerate human and economic growth.
Moreno aims to raise the income of farmers to the level of average Filipino workers by also providing them with risk-free capitals; building more irrigation systems while improving the efficiency of existing ones; and establishing the Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, among others.
Likewise, the government will lead the effort for farmers to adopt new technologies to increase their productivity, and establish post-harvest facilities and cold storage facilities across the country and in major production areas.
A Moreno administration will also invest in strengthening agriculture schools and institutions, including its teachers and professors, and ensure that the product of these institutions will directly benefit Filipino farmers.
