If you think that yellow is out and pink is in, you are mistaken.

As the once-ruling Liberal Party (LP) continues to consolidate its numbers, the opposition party is working on getting new members in time for the May 9 polls.

Senator Kiko Pangilinan, who is running for vice president under the LP, swore in 157 new members, mostly young people, farmers, and professionals from Misamis Oriental, on Friday, March 25.

Pangilinan administered oath to the new LP members at the kick-off campaign for local candidates in Cagayan De Oro City.

During the oath-taking ceremony, Pangilinan asked the new party members to campaign for him, running mate Vice President Leni Robredo, and their entire slate by going house-to-house to convince the “Andy’s” or the “undecided” voters until they become “Daisy’s (decided voters)” on who to vote.

He said that while his initial plan was simply to run for reelection in the Senate, Robredo was able to convince him to “fight the epic battle of our time.”

“At gagawin natin ang lahat huwag lang manumbalik ang pang-aabuso, kurakot (And we will do everything to prevent the return of abuses, corruption), plundering at (and) revisionism ng kasaysayan (of history). I was a student leader who fought against the dictator, and never in my life that I imagined na makakabalik ang pinatalsik na na pamilya (the ousted family will return),” he said.

In his message, Pangilinan said the party has always been at the forefront of the fight for democracy and freedom.

The senator cited LP stalwarts Zamboanga City Mayor Cesar Climaco, Antique Mayor Evelio Javier, and Senator Ninoy Aquino, who lived and died defending these values.

“Sanay tayong tumatayo para sa ating paninindigan, binubuwis ang buhay (We are used to standing up for our principles, risking lives).The same applies today when we are experiencing the worst economic crisis in 70 years and the worst health crisis in a hundred years, when millions go hungry and hundreds continue to die, and when we have a government that is stealing Covid funds,” he said.

Pangilinan noted the billions of Covid funds that must go to hospitals and treatment were misused for the benefit of cronies, causing deaths even among medical frontliners.

He said Robredo, in contrast, shows compassion by immediately sending out relief packs and medical assistance for Filipinos in need.

“Sa OVP maliwanag ang objective, magbigay ng suporta. , paano pagkakitaan ang (At the OVP, the objective is clear, provide support. For others, the intention is how to profit from) Covid...Naging conduit pa ng (They become a conduit of) overpriced and substandard . Sa halip na sugpuin ang Covid, samantalahin ang Covid. Halimaw lang ang gumagawa niyan (Instead of curbing Covid, the objective is to take advantage of Covid. Monsters only do that),” he said.

Bencyrus Ellorin, who organized the Liberal Party oath-taking, underscored the need to reclaim the democratic space with truth-telling amid the proliferation of disinformation and fake news on social media.