Senator Risa Hontiveros vowed to continue to fight corruption and push for a "healthy buhay at hanapbuhay" as she officially launched on Wednesday, Feb. 9, her senatorial campaign through a proclamation rally in Bacacay, Albay.
"Ayaw natin sa magnanakaw. Biruin ninyo sa gitna ng pandemya ay may mga taong walang kunsensya at walang-awang pinagkakitaan ang paghihirap ng marami (We don’t want thieves. In the midst of the pandemic there are still those who have no conscience and ruthlessly exploiting the suffering of the people)," Hontiveros said.
"Ayaw natin sa Pastillas Scam. Ayaw natin sa Pharmally scandal. Ayaw natin sa manloloko at manggagantso kaya nilabanan natin yan at syempre, tuluy-tuloy nating gagawin (We don’t want the Pastillas Scam, the Pharmally scandal. We don't like cheaters and swindlers so we fought against them and we will continue to do so)," she added.
Hontiveros exposed the questionable transactions of the Procurement Service of the Department of Budget and Management (PS-DBM) and Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corporation in committee hearings at the Senate last year.
She also exposed the corruption in the Bureau of Immigration, the so-called "Pastillas scam," wherein immigration personnel receive grease money in exchange for seamless entry of Chinese nationals and another racket victimizing Filipino women being sold off in Syria as virtual slave labor or prostituted women.
"Ang sabi po kasi nila, tayong mga botante dapat kinikilatis natin ang mga nanliligaw. Silipin daw ang track record. Hanapin raw ang resibo (They said voters should evaluate all candidates -- check their track records and look for receipts)," she stated.
"Marami tayong resibo. Ang kailanma’y hindi mabubura ng mga fake news: marami tayong nagawa (We have so many receipts and fake news can never erase that we have done so much),” Hontiveros emphasized.
The senator also vowed to continue her campaign for Filipinos to have access to a better health care system and quality employment which are included in her "good jobs" agenda.
"Yung ating mobile clinic at medical missions nakapagsilbi ng daan-daang libong pasyente sa gitna ng pandemya. Limangdaang munisipalidad, kasama ang Bicolandia. Sana ay maipagpatuloy natin ang proyektong ito (Our mobile clinic and medical missions have served hundreds of thousands of patients amid the pandemic in 500 municipalities, including Bicolandia. Hopefully, we can continue this project)," Hontiveros shared.
"Pangako ko rin sa inyo, patuloy akong magpapanukala ng mga batas upang mapalakas at masuportahan ang ating health care system (I vow to continuously propose laws that will strengthen and support our health care system),” she said.
Included in her commitment is to protect and defend the welfare of workers from across sectors, such as fisherfolk and farmers, as well as micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
Meanwhile, Hontiveros also appealed to allow her to serve the public one more time in the Senate.
"Isa pa, para sa mga kababaihan at kabataan. Isa pa, para sa mga manggagawa. Isa pa, para suyurin at labanan ang korapsyon. Isa pa po sanang pagkakataong makapaglingkod sa bayan (One more time for the women and the youth, for the workers, and to crack down and fight corruption. Allow me to serve again the people)," she concluded.
Hontiveros' proclamation rally jumpstarted with a motorcade followed by an opening mass at St. Rose of Lima Parish in Bacacay, the hometown of her late husband.