Former chief presidential legal counsel Salvador Panelo can accept the possibility of him not winning a Senate seat in the upcoming May 9 polls.
What he won't be able to accept is for the country's children with disability (CWDs) to not have a champion for their cause in the Senate once the election dust settles. As such, Panelo called on fellow senatorial candidates to unite and work together to pass laws that will benefit such children.
"I made a promise to CWDs and their families that, whether I win or lose, I will push for legislation that will respond to their needs. This is my advocacy to my honor my departed son Carlo, who had Down Syndrome," said the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) stalwart in a statement Friday, May 6.
"If I win, I can’t do this on my own. If I lose, someone else will have to champion the cause in the Senate," he noted.
Panelo named fellow senatorial candidates Raffy Tulfo, Loren Legarda, Robin Padilla, Alan Peter Cayetano, Chiz Escudero, Win Gatchalian, Migz Zubiri, Mark Villar, JV Ejercito, Jojo Binay, Risa Hontiveros, and Jinggoy Estrada, who are leading the Senate race based on the latest Pulse Asia survey.
"I appeal to the other candidates to commit to pushing these laws for CWDs should they be elected Senators," he said.
The former Palace official stressed that it is high time that the government take action for the sake of the estimated 5.1 million CWD in the country and their families.
He said the sector needs to be given their due attention, as they have been neglected by past administrations.
"We might belong to different parties and have different political beliefs, but I believe that we can all unite for this worthy cause. What is important is that, whoever is elected, CWDs win," Panelo underscored.