Make wise choices, vote for Mar, Leni – Noy

ROXAS CITY, Capiz, Philippines – The 90-day campaign for the May 9 elections officially kicked off yesterday with President Aquino rallying the people to get involved and make wise choices for the country’s future.

Aquino led a sea of around 10,000 yellow-clad supporters in the Capiz Gymnasium here where the candidates of the ruling Liberal Party led by presidential bet Manuel “Mar” Roxas II and his runningmate, Camarines Sur Rep. Leni Robredo, were introduced.

The LP did not deviate from its usual rallies – attendees wore yellow and musical numbers were an important part of the program along with confetti that abundantly rained down on the President and the candidates as they raised their arms and flashed the Laban sign.

But before Aquino went to the campaign rally, he inaugurated a paved national road in Barangay Duyoc in Dao town where he enumerated the gains of the administration and why the people should make the right decisions during the elections.

“In the end, the country’s good future is in our hands,” Aquino said.

He chose to endorse Roxas, Robredo and 12 senatorial candidates that he said would continue what his administration started.

While critics say the Daang Matuwid (straight path) coalition failed to meet expectations and were not able to fulfill promises, Aquino said the results of the government’s various programs would show that they tried their best to achieve inclusive growth in line with their campaign slogan in 2010 – that there would be no poor if there were no corrupt in government.

“From the very beginning, our pledge was: nobody would be left behind,” Aquino said.

Symbolic of Daang Matuwid, Aquino said the paved road could shorten travel between Junction Mianay, Sigma and the Panitan municipality in this province to 30 minutes from the previous one hour and could help farmers and businessmen transport their goods to the market faster and easier.

“The principle of daang matuwid is simple: focus the service on the people, do what is right and for sure, it will bring good results,” Aquino said.

He said the administration had gone far as he cited the gains of the government in terms of employment, the conditional cash transfer program, education, energy, health insurance coverage, among others.

“This is just the beginning. Come May, Filipinos will face the crossroads again. The question is: will we go straight ahead and continue the good that we started? Or will we waste everything that we worked hard for and make a turn to go back to the crooked system and old ways?” Aquino remarked.

“If you trusted me in 2010, please trust me again this time,” the President said.

Aquino said daang matuwid was no gimmick or drama but a policy that brought results and must be continued.

With the K

At the kick-off rally here, Aquino said Roxas has the “K” to succeed him as the country’s next leader.

The letter K is known among Filipinos as karapatan or right, but the President said that for Roxas, “K” stands for kakayahan (ability), konsensya (conscience), katapatan (honesty), kalinga at pagmamahal (concern and love for others).

“Now, with your help once again, I say with full confidence now that Mar Roxas should be the next president of the Philippines,” Aquino said.

Roxas led the LP slate with Robredo along with senatorial candidates Senate President Franklin Drilon, Sens. Ralph Recto and Teofisto Guingona III, former senators Francis Pangilinan and Panfilo Lacson, former justice secretary Leila de Lima, former energy secretary Jericho Petilla, Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority chief operating officer Mark Lapid, Philippine Health Insurance Corp. director Risa Hontiveros; Cooperative NATCCO party-list Rep. Cresente Paez and Interior Assistant Secretary for Muslim Affairs and Special Concerns and former Maguindanao officer-in-charge Nariman Ambolodto.

Former Technical Education and Skills Development Authority director general Joel Villanueva failed to make it but the President said he was expecting him to join them in their other sorties.

Aquino said Roxas and Robredo would not make empty promises, given their respective track records in public service.

“Again, our fate is in our hands. It is in our hands if we will take full advantage of the opportunities opening up for the country. It is in our hands which direction we should take the country; whether daang matuwid will be continued or we will go back to the crooked path,” Aquino said.

Roxas, for his part, said the fight for the presidency will not be easy.

“This fight is not easy because this is a fight worth fighting. I will never allow myself to be defeated by those who abuse our people, those who fool us and, most of all, I won’t let myself be defeated by thieves,” Roxas said in Filipino. – With Alexis Romero, Paolo Romero, Delon Porcalla, Mayen Jaymalin