Casiño defends Makabayan’s move to adopt 5 senatorial candidates

Makabayan Coalition senatorial candidates Satur Ocampo, Grace Poe, Chiz Escudero, Teddy Casino, Loren Legarda, Cynthia Villas, Gwen Pimentel representing Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel, Liza Maza. Karen Boncocan/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines—Bayan Muna Party-list Representative Teddy Casiño on Thursday defended the Makabayan Coalition’s move to adopt five guest candidates to its senatorial slate for the 2013 mid-term elections.

In a press conference, he said that their inclusion to the coalition’s senatorial ticket was “not for political convenience but because we share the same advocacies.”

“Unlike the other coalitions, we have a clearer platform for next year’s elections,” he said.

The Makabayan bloc will be fielding during next year’s senatorial race Senators Francis “Chiz” Escudero, Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III and Loren Legarda, former Las Piñas lawmaker Cynthia Villar and MTRCB chair Grace Poe-Llamanzares.

The coalition is made up of the Bayan Muna Partylist, Anakpawis Partylist, Gabriela Women’s Party, ACT Teachers’ Partylist, Katribu Partylist, Migrante Partylist, Courage Partylist, Akap Bata Partylist, Piston Partylist and Kalikasan Partylist.

Makabayan co-chairperson Liza Maza said that talks with the guest candidates went on for a month since October 5. “Nakipagtalastasan kami batay sa prinsipyo at programa (at matapos) ang isang buwan na pakikipagusap, nabuo ang pagpapasya ng anim na senatoriables sa ilalim ng Makabayan coalition (We talked based on principles and programs and after a month, we reached a decision that six senatorial candidates will be under the Makabayan coalition).”

Legarda called joining her fellow candidates in the Makabayan coalition as “serendipitous”, saying that she has worked with most of them as a legislator. “Hindi na tayo nagkakaiba sa isa’t isa (We’re not different from each other).”

Satur Ocampo, Makabayan president, said that the five candidates “reinforced” their fielding of their sole official candidate, Rep. Casino. He said that their six “Senate champions…manifests our confidence in the leadership qualities of the six, their personal integrity, and their pro-people stand on significant public issues.”

Ocampo said that their six candidates have agreed to support the following actions under the Makabayan Coalition:

-lowering the prices of oil products, water, power and other basic commodities and services by introducing reforms on taxation and pricing policies;

-pushing for genuine agrarian reform; pro-people mining policies and environmental protection: equitable minimum wage and salary adjustments in the public and private sectors, subsidy for farmers and fisherfolk, and incentives for micro and small-medium enterprises;

-increasing budgetary allocations for essential social services such as education, health and housing and reviewing the automatic appropriation for foreign debt servicing to channel more public funds for social services and job creation;

-asserting national sovereignty and the people’s interest by thoroughly reviewing to rectify unequal bilateral treaties and agreements with the IMF-WB-WTO triad and the VFA and upholding our territorial and EEZ claims in the West Philippine Sea;

-working for the passage of the Freedom of Information and Whistleblowers Act, and opposing special treatment in handling criminal cases against former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and other former officials;

-seeking an end to extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances of activists and journalists; amnesty to all political prisoners similar with military rebels;

-repealing or amending the Cybercrime law and decriminalizing libel; and

-urging the immediate release of detained NDFP consultants and other JASIG-protected persons and pushing for the resumption of peace talks between the GPH and the NDFP.

Legarda in particular sought to intensify programs for the environment and agriculture while Villar vowed to uphold women empowerment.

But on the issue on political dynasties, Casino admitted that they have not yet reached an agreement.

“Ngunit tinitiyak namin na ang basis ng aming samahan ay malinaw at lalo namin itong palalalimin (We are assured that the basis of our group is clear and we will strengthen it),” said Ocampo.

“Ano mang sektor, ang importante ay may ugnayan at unawaan upang maisulong ang nakatataas na interes ng bansa (Whatever the sector is, what’s important is we communicate and we understand each other in pushing the higher interest of our country),” said Escudero.