Former Secretary Mar Roxas at the first presidential debate in Capitol University, in Cagayan de Oro City. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/LYN RILLON
Presidential candidate Manuel “Mar” Roxas II during the second presidential debate on Sunday asked the public to support “daang matuwid (straight path)” and fight those who are trying to “hijack” efforts of the administration.
Roxas, who as endorsed by President Benigno Aquino III, talked about the plight of “decent” people in the Philippines during his closing speech at the presidential debate held at the University of the Philippines Cebu.
“Sa Pilipinas napakahirap maging disente. Madalas ang mga disente sila pa ang nahuhuli, nahihirapan,” he said.
(In the Philippines, it is hard to be decent. Most of the time the decent people are the ones who are left out, who have difficulty in life.)
He said farmers, for example, work hard but are not able to earn more because they are shortchanged by traders.
“Pipila ka, sisingitan ka naman. Magbabayad ka ng kuryente, kakabitan ng jumper ang linya mo,” Roxas said, referring to illegal electrical lines.
(You fall in line, someone will cut in. You pay for your electricity, but then someone illegally taps into your line using a jumper.)
He said the administration’s reform agenda has started changing the system by confronting those who cut in and removing illegal lines. However, there are still those who want to continue the old system, he said.
“Dapat nating ipaglaban ang daang matuwid. Kung may kulang punuin natin. Kung may mali itama natin. Para dito sa ating bansa tuluyan na makapamuhay tayo kung saan nagtatagumpay ang disente,” said the ruling Liberal Party’s candidate.
(Let us fight for the straight path. If there is something lacking, let us provide for it. If there is something wrong, let us correct it. So that we can live in a place where the decent people succeed.)
He called on the people to “return the Philippines to the hands of decent people (ibalik natin ang Pilipinas sa mga disenteng tao).”
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