Angara brings ‘Juan dela Cruz’ to help win over Cebu voters

While Coco Martin aka “Juan dela Cruz” fights “aswangs” in his television series, Aurora Rep. Sonny Angara has made it his mission to introduce educational reforms and access to employment opportunities to the Filipinos should he win as senator in the May 13 election.

“The fight of Juan dela Cruz is physical. Our fight is metaphorical, figurative. Our fight is against poverty and lack of jobs,” said Angara in Filipino.

Angara and Martin were in Cebu yesterday to court Cebuano voters.  Shortly after their late afternoon arrival here, the two appeared in a brief press conference held at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino in Lahug.

They attended two activities near the T. Padilla public market and near the Talamban barangay hall which is part of the “Angara Youth Night” celebration.

Martin said in Filipino during the press conference that he was supporting Angara for senator because they had a lot of similarities.”

He knows what it feels like to be poor and to struggle to get a college education.

A product of a broken family, Martin said, his grandmother was the one who  sent him to school.

“I know how it is to be poor and I know the importance of education. I had to work in different jobs to get where I am,” he said in Filipino.

The need to earn also sent him to Canada to work as janitor for nine months, but problems in his papers forced him to return to the country.  It was then that he started doing showbiz.

Martin said he decided to help in Angara’s campaign to also repay the help that Angara gave when he and his manager came to him to ask for help in a children’s foundation that they were starting out.

He recalled Angara gave books which they also gave to children who were admitted in government hospitals.  He also supported Angara’s programs for senior citizens.

choose right person

“We can help by choosing the right person. If we would support someone, it should be the right one,” he said in Filipino.

If Angara wins as senator, Martin said, he would want Angara to continue programs for the elderly, to give free access to education, and improved benefits for the teachers to prevent them from leaving the country.

Angara said that Martin is one of the volunteers in his campaign.  In fact, he came from a shooting which finished at 4 a.m. on Saturday and joined in his his sorties in Bacolod and Iloilo before they came to Cebu City.

The two were also expected to fly back to Manila late last night.

Having Martin’s support is a plus factor in his campaign because of the attention that he draws.  But his endorsement is not a guarantee to victory in the election “because voters still look at the qualifications (of the candidate).”

Angara now places 8th or  9th in surveys.