Former senator Kiko Pangilinan, who is running for another term in Senate in next month’s polls, urged his fellow candidates to reflect on serving the Filipinos and addressing the challenges that the country faces this Holy Week.
Senatorial candidate Kiko Pangilinan shakes hands with a market vendor during a campaign sortie in Pangasinan. (Photo from Team Kiko Pangilinan)
Speaking to the media on the sidelines of his campaign in Pangasinan province on Tuesday, April 15, the former food security czar expressed his hopes that candidates will focus more on the country’s problems than the political infighting.
"Ang dalangin ko ay magkaroon ng mga solusyon sa mga problema ng bansa, na ang mga lider ay tutugunan ito sa halip na itong walang katapusang bayangan at gulo (My prayer is to find solutions to the country's problem, that leaders will address these instead of the endless bickering and fighting)," he said.
As for him, Pangilinan shared that he plans to focus on amplifying his campaign message of food security and lower prices of food.
"Ang gulo-gulo ng bansa (There’s so much mess in the country). Let's focus on solutions. Let's focus on addressing hunger. Kaya nga walang kulay dapat ang gutom. Walang kulay talaga ang gutom (That’s why hunger has no political color. It really has no color)," he added.
"Kapag tinamaan ka ng gutom, ke pink ka, ke green ka, ke pula ka, gutom yun eh dapat talaga doon tayo tumutok kesa dinadagdagan ng partisan politics, dinadagdagan ng away sa pulitika. Gulong gulo na ang tao (When you’re hungry, whether you are pink, green, red, that’s hunger so we really need to focus instead of engaging in partisan politics and political bickering. The people are already confused).”
With only 26 days before Election Day, Pangilinan lamented the state of politics in the country, pointing out the endless bickering and smear campaigns launched by candidates against each other.
"Basta ang ano ko diyan, ang taumbayan ay gulong-gulo na. Ang dapat nating gawin ay wag dagdagan ang gulo at hanapan ng sabi ko nga, kalma, kalma, andito na si Kiko. Hanapan natin ng solusyon, yun ang ating isulong dito sa kampanya, wag na natin dagdagan ito (My take there is the people are confused. What we should do is not to add to the mess and instead, as I said, calm down, Kiko is here. Let’s find solutions, that’s what we’re pushing for in this campaign, let’s not add to this)," the former senator said.
Pangilinan lately has been a subject of disinformation and trolling on social media due to his viral food blog where he was shown eating rice and carabao milk on a pot cover.
He had called on the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to look into deactivating or suspending the troll accounts until Election Day, but also vowed to continue advocating for food security in the remaining days of the campaign.