Presidential aspirant and Manila Mayor Francisco "Isko Moreno" Domagoso said on Monday that more job opportunities and easy access to other basic necessities in far-flung areas of the country might stop the "decades-old insurgency."
“Yung insurgency, it boils down to hanapbuhay. Kung walang hanapbuhay yung tao, naitutulak siya sa pader. Katulad sa isang highly-urbanized city, Manila for that matter, kapag gutom ang tao, ang tendency ay mamerhuwisyo ng kapwa niya (The insurgency boils down to job opportunities. If they don't have jobs they're pushed to the wall. Like for example, the city of Manila is a highly-urbanized city, if the people are starving they might harm other people),” Domagoso told the media in an interview during his visit Oriental Mindoro on Monday, Nov. 15.
The communist insurgency in the country started with the re-establishment of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) on Dec. 26, 1968. It also founded its military arm, the New People’s Army (NPA) on March 29, 1969.
The presidential aspirant believes that nobody "will go against the government" if the national government will provide more job opportunities, access to education, and better health care.
"I think that’s the way to do it, to give opportunity sa ating mga kababayan, lalo na sa far-fliung areas, kasi yun ang madaling makumbinse (To give an opprotunity to our people especially in the far-flung areas because they can be easily convinced),” Domagoso said.
If elected as president in the May 2022 elections, Domagoso said he will create more businesses which would give and create more jobs for the public.
“What matters most to me, if given the chance, in the coming months is to create more business. With business, we can create more jobs. With jobs, mapapanatag ang buhay ng tao,” he said.
Domagoso, his running mate Dr. Willie Ong, and Aksyon Demokratiko senatorial slate Dr. Carl Balita, Samira Gutoc, and Jopet Sison are in Oriental Mindoro for their "Listening Tour."