THE PHILIPPINE STAR WEDNESDAY I FEBRUARY 13' 2OI9

I : rrj '' r,'r:irIli:ui1 i r 1"2:i. rr.,r-;r':lllllitE,w$r

Otso Diretbo goes house-to-house in Calooca'n

By HELEN FLORES
Senatorial candidates o{
the opposition Otso Diretso or
Straight Eight will adopt the
gain voters' support.
Otso Diretso candidates Sen.
Paolo Benigno Aquino IV, Mag-
dalo partyJist Rep. Gary Ale-
jano, human rights lawyer Jose
veteran election lawyer Romulo Citv. Former senator Mar Roxas
Macalintal, former Quezon rep- didthe same in Capiz, his home
resentative Erin Taflada and province.
Marawi civic leader Samira Gu- Admitting that most of the
toc-Tomawis started their cam- candidates are relatively un- I

grassroots campaign strategy of Manuel "Chel" Diokno, former paign yesterday by knocking on knowry Sen. Francis Pangilinan,
Vice President Leni Robredo to solicitor general Florin Hilbay, the doors of residents in Caloocan Turn to Page 4

"4 Ots6 l,o,"r"n"',*i

s '-l;it. ot the gun should:toP'
barrel
continue lt has not stopped Silence i-* no
r.iltii*t
campaign marlager of Otso Diretso, said loneer an opti;n with so many things happening -lf nothLng
their candidates, along with 2,000 vol- i" done tto*, we will find ourselves in a dark pldce' victim
sald
unteers nationwide, would conduct the iii.t"., t""'"t the late senator and martial law Jose
house-lo-house campaign to introduce Diokno.
'iii"t""lJa"a
."Pepe"
them to the voting publii. thal the lawyers' organization Free Legal
courL
"This is a 90-day campaign period if Assistance Croup is filing a petition before the 5uPreme
* li;-;A; .t;tirution"atity
;;r"i of the war on illegal drugs'
the elections will be held iomorrow, most
likely only two of them will win," the i;ilE" added that the midterm elections would serve as a
senator said at a press conference at the ."1"i""J"- tt Duterte administration and its Policies
Caf6 Poblacion in Caloocary referring to "i "
Roxas and Aquino, who have consistently
&Point Progiram
joined the winners' circle or the Top 12 of 'l he opposition bets launched their eight-point Program
pre-e)ection surveys, which inciudes the institu tionalization ot the goveffrmenl s
The complete Otso Diretso slate will have another proclama- .uti' transfer Pantawid Pamilyalilipino Program;
tion rally today in Naga city, hometown of Robredo.
"onJiiio"ut
sure employment for college graduates; higher mlnlmum
*oo"' ocace'f,rl community; better services tor senror crhzens-
- Caloocan Rep. Edgar Erice, Roxas' campaign manageq, saicl
the former interior and local govemment secretary traditionally ;;d";"i;;';,h Jiiuuititi"t; fair justice sv5tem; Protection of
starts I'ris campaign in Capiz. Roxas served as representative df Phitiooine
'' territories, among others'
the first district of Capiz in the early 1990s. N5I, ;;;it"- hi-selr ai"Mur, amiug ckonomista (Mar' our
Roxas' absence from the slate on the campaign's first day Roxas said he would like to help the govem-rnctrt
improvc the countrv's economy by creating more iobs tor
".onorni"rl," llll-
does not debact from the coalition's unity, actording to other
Otso Diretso bets. oinos.
t"
f i.irno suid he would continue Lo fi8ht for the country's so-v-
"l{e should not make an issue out of it. We come from dit- Sea and push for more benehtc
fereht backgrounds and wg just'volt in.' But we have a united creilnty in the West PhilipPine
rnesbdBc," Alejalo sald. " '#;li;;;;5tJi.'"
for uniformed Persomrel'
*o"ra t"otr' o" bills that will promote the \\
Pahgilinan said Otso Diretso's schedule was primarily based
on thal of the Vice President. lrrtf rJ* of
"".tio.
citizens in the country-' includinB dlr increase qpsl;i1 )
irr the 20-percent discount provided to the elderly.
"Wc will have several activities for (Roxas) to ioin," he said.
Diukno said the opposibion slate's visit in Ca lo'ocan - krrown Irioknd said the Otso Diretso candidates are bar
and tot
(rn8 on tnerr (r)
as a hotbed of killings in the government's war on drugs - was clean track rccord, upriSht principlcs o"iilntlo
symbolic fo send a message that law enJorcement through the
,un.,
NtrXr PACIQ PL,?
OISO FromPase4
Taflada said compared to
other candidates who are into
"politics of convenience," Otso
Diretso bets are into "politics of
principles."
Baranglay residents
Gutoc-Tornawis engaged a
resident in a discussion about
the government's anti-illegal
drug war, which the resident
claimed has Ieft thousands
dead but failed to put a dent on
the supply of narcotics.
"Every day, people are
killed, people are arrested
and yet there is stilt a huge
supply of drugs out there,"
said the 60-year-old man who
had worked as a waiter. He
requested not to be named for
fear of reprisal from the police.
He said he was glad to
see new faces in the electoral
contest, long dominated by
celebrities and members of
political dynasties.
Vendor Imelda Fallasgon
said the appreciated Gutoc-
Tomawis' house visit, saying
it was the first time in her five said.
decades of living in Caloocan
that a senatorial candidate vis-
ited her barangay and shook
her hand.
'- "Who knows, maybe she and will be o2 on election dav
could win by doing that?" she
said of Gutoc-Tomawis, a sur-i
vivor of the Marawi siege who
vowed to expose the atrocities 'for me this time. I am not run-
committed in Mindanao under
martial law.
But 64.year-old Yolly de office because I am thinking
Leon was disappointed that
Roxas was not present to ac-
compary Otso Diretso candi-
dates.
"You know the Filipino sen-
timent that one's presence mat-
ters. He could have boosted the
chances of (Otso Diretso)in the
electiory" De Leon, a mother of
four, said.
Otso Diretso vesterdav also
launched the setond phise of
their Project Makinig, a na-
tionwide door-to-door drive to
listen to voters' concems.
During the 10-week first
phase of the campaigo the par-
ty conducted 116,000 conversa-
tions in the form of surveys to
determine voters' awareness
on the track record of the can-
didates.
The campaign was launched
by the Liberal Party inoctober
2012 recruiting 9,800 volun-
teers and mobilizing in 100
areas all over the country.
Macalintal, who spoke with
Caloocan resident Renato Ma-
laya during the house visit,
said the suwey results would
serve as their guide in the
elections.
"It will greatly help us. We
may not be ranking in the
surveys but we want to know
what the people want from
us that would convince- them
to ,rot" fo. ,t. Wu go ai*.tiY
to the grassroots," Macalintal
Senior Gitizen Mal
Roxas tumed 60 vears old
during his hiatus from politics
on May 13-
.
"I am a senior citizen now
so there's a sense of urgencY
ning for office because I need
to prove myselt. I am seeking
of the kind of country we're
Ieaving behind for the next
generation " Roxas said in Fili-
pino during a radio interview
- Roxas added that he aimed
to leave behind a cbuntry that
is better than before.
"I will focus on imProving
the economy," the former inte-
rior secretary added.
r\ ,-
" With Mirrc fayson Cayabyab,
Ta.CnT PA(?€
("2)
Also speaking to a crowo
o{ around ?500 at Civic Cen-
ter Roxas City, Roxas said he
wanted to start his campaign
where his political career be-
gan. He was joined by his
mother Judy Araneta and wife
Korina Sanchez.
"l want to begin each time
with you," Roxai said in Hili
gaynon.
Two Ilonggos expressed
their gratitude to Roxas, who
had pushed for the exemption
of minimum wage earners
from paying income taxes as
well as cheaper medicine.
Leonardo Bade Sr., a tricycle
driver for 20 years, said,be-
cause of Roxas' legislation, he
was able to send three of his
children to college. They are
Iicensed teachers, Bade said.
Vilma Portolo, a.senior
citizen like Roxas, said she
receives P1,500 pension from
the government every quarter
- not enough to buy medicine
but "thanks to the Cheaper
Medicine lav-"' of Roxas, she
gets by with her maintenance
medications.
For his par! Aquino wamed
about a rubber-stamp Senate,
stressing that an independent
chamber would ensure that
the welfare and interest of the
Filipino people are protected.
Aquino underscored the
importance of the opposition
in the Senate.
The Filipino people will suf-
fer if the Senate will give in to
every desire of the administra-
tion, he said.
"We have to be on the side
of the Filipino people always,"
Aquino said in Filipino.
But the re-electionist scna-
tor sald he is willing to work
with the administration when
.
the welfare of the Filipino
people is at the forefront. -
Cecille Suerte Felipe, Ramon
Efren Lazaro