No politics in Roxas’ Navotas visit, says Mayor Tiangco

Video by Noy Morcoso

There is no politics here.

Navotas Mayor John Rey Tiangco said his appearance during Interior Secretary Manuel “Mar” Roxas II’s visit at a shipyard in Navotas City on Wednesday should not be laced with politics.

Tiangco is the brother of Navotas Rep. Toby Tiangco, who is also the interim president of Vice President Jejomar Binay’s party United Nationalist Alliance.

“Walang pulitika dito. Kung ano yung mabuti para sa mga kababayan natin at sa mga Pilipino, dapat kahit magkaibang partido magtulungan,” he told reporters in a chance interview after the program at RRT Marine Services in Barangay (village) San Jose.

Tiangco also said it’s still “too early” to associate the event with Roxas’ campaigning.

Asked if he sought permission to attend Roxas’ event from his brother Toby, he said: “Let’s just talk about work. This is for all Navoteños so we shouldn’t talk about politics.”

Roxas was a guest during the assembly of Angkla party-list at the RRT shipyard where the 500,000-strong organization composed of seafarers, ship owners and managers declared its support for Roxas.

Party-list representative Jesse Manalo introduced Roxas as the “secretary who will eventually become the President of the Republic of the Philippines.”

“Ang mga marino ho, suporta sa inyo,” Angkla party-list’s vice chair Ronald Enrile said in his speech.

When it was Roxas’ turn, he lauded Filipino builders for producing “sophisticated, world-class and fine” ships.

Roxas said imported vessels from Japan, Korea, Australia and Singapore were actually made in the Philippines. “Sinisekreto nila na gawa yan sa Pilipinas at Pilipino ang gumagawa niyan,” he added.

“Ang trabaho ng Pilipino ay maasahan, pulido at abot kaya sa kanyang budget. ‘Yan ang ating kapital, yan ang ating pundasyon,” he said.

Also in his speech, Roxas acknowledged Tiangco and the local government of Navotas for providing an environment conducive for the country’s maritime industry.

In an interview, Roxas said he believes the maritime industry should be given more priority as the country is an archipelago that boasts many tourism spots.

“‘Yung paghatid ng ating mga turista sa mga tourism spots na ito, eh bakit hindi Pilipinong barko ang gagamitin? Para sa atin, may kakayahan naman tayo, nag-gra-graduate tayo ng mga maritime engineers, nag-gra-graduate tayo ng mga martime architects, nag-gra-graduate tayo ng mga marino, so, maganda rin na tayo ang gumagawa ng sarili nating barko,” he said.