Sen. Grace Poe and returning senator Lito Lapid took their campaign to Zambales on Wednesday, Feb. 27 to go directly to the masses.
It was the first time that Poe and Lapid joined forces to hold provincial sorties. They said the public could expect them to campaign in other areas.
“Magiging magkasama kami, katulad ‘pag mga ganito magkasama kami, pero siyempre may mga iba rin tayong mga re-electionist na nais naming tulungan—at tulungan din kami—kaya sasama din kami sa kanila,” Poe told reporters in a chance interview during a public market visit in Iba town.
Lapid, for his part, said he was grateful to Poe for sort of “adopting” him in the run up to the midterm elections.
“Unang-una po nagpapasalamat ako kay Sen. Grace Poe kasi ako lang mag-isa, medyo inampon niya muna ako,” Lapid said.
“Dahil ‘Probinsyano’ ito, ang pagmamahal niya—lalo na doon sa teleserye, kay Coco Martin, Susan Roces—ay iisa lang ang puso namin, kaya Poe at Lapid ang magkasama talaga; kahit noon pa—tatay ko, si Fernando Poe Sr. at Fernando Poe Jr.—ang ama niya at ang ama ko, magkasama noon pa, at si Jess Lapid Sr.,” said Lapid.
Lapid plays the role “Romulo Dumaguit” aka “Pinuno” in the top rated primetime series “Ang Probinsyano” while Poe’s mother Susan Roces plays “Lola Flora.”
Lapid said he was also willing to take Poe in his bailiwick Pampanga, one of the vote-rich provinces in the country.
Poe and Lapid are not part of any coalition, as well as returning senator Sergio Osmeña III and incumbent Sen. Nancy Binay.
Both senatorial bets said they prefer to barnstorm provinces to directly discuss their platforms rather than attend debates.
“Kung may tanong kayo, diretso naman ninyo akong natatanong. Noong 2016, marami na rin akong nasalihang debate, siguro maganda rin naman na umikot ako dahil mas diretsong nakakatanong ang ating mga kababayan; sa debate kasi ‘yun lang, ‘yung mga nando’n lang ang nakakatanong, ito puwede akong tanungin, kahit sa mga university, diretso ang mga tanong sa amin,” Poe said.
“Hindi na, dalawang beses na akong naging senador, pero ‘di ako sumasali sa mga debate. Alam mo naman palaging tinitira sa akin ang edukasyon,” said Lapid when sought for reaction.
Poe said: “Importante ang edukasyon pero sabi ko nga, ang pagkatao rin ang mas importante. Ang Senado ay dapat representasyon ng lahat ng klaseng tao. Hindi natin puwedeng uriin na kailangan nakatapos ka, kailangan abogado ka. Ang importante, ano bang puwede mong maitulong at magawa, ‘yun ang sanang maging basehan.”
Meanwhile, Poe is eyeing the expansion of the coverage of fuel subsidies being given by the government to jeepney operators amid new rounds of oil price hikes.
Poe and Lapid, who held a dialogue with Zambales fisherfolk, vowed to push for this in the Senate.
“Iyan ang aking nais tutukan ng tulong: Kung ang mga nagpapasada ng jeep ay nabibigyan ng fuel vouchers, hindi ba dapat kayo rin na mangingisda ay nabibigyan din ng umento ng gobyerno?” Poe stressed.
Oil firms have increased six times this year but imposed only a single rollback on the back of climbing oil prices in the global market.
“Mahal na po kasi ang presyo ng gasolina na kailangan ninyo [sa pamamangka],” Poe pointed out, adding that the government should be ready to assist fishermen and provide them sustainable livelihood options.
Many Filipinos heavily rely on fishing as their source of livelihood considering the country has vast coastlines and rich marine resources. However, fisherfolk remain among the poorest sectors of society.
There were an estimated 1.8 million fishermen in the Philippines.
“Dapat bantayan din natin ang ating kabuhayan kaya ako naririto na nakikiisa sa inyo sapagkat kung mahihirapan ang ating mga mangingisda, apektado lahat—hindi lamang kayo kundi lahat tayo,” said Poe.
“Alam kong maraming hamon ang inabot ninyo sa mga nakaraang taon, lalung-lalo na dito sa lugar ninyo na bungad ng West Philippine Sea,” Poe added.
Poe, as chair of the Senate public services committee, monitors the implementation of the social mitigating measures under the tax reform package. She had urged the Department of Transportation to distribute the Pantawid Pasada cards to jeepney franchise holders, which, up to now, some 80,000 are still unclaimed.
