Reject Senate bets who betrayed the peoples' trust

We, the sovereign Filipino people, who are voting in these coming polls should be armed with the truth before we make our choices. The 68,618,667 registered Filipino voters who are choosing their 12 senatorial candidates for the May 12 midterm polls should have full knowledge of the true colors of senatorial aspirants. Many of them have betrayed our trust and confidence.

Contrary to the political speech of BBM in Ilocos last week, many of his senatorial bets have supported the Duterte administration's favorite supplier coming from the Pharmally, which was exposed by the Richard Gordon-led Blue Ribbon Committee, to have been irregularly granted billions worth of supply contract despite its very small paid capital and its lack of track record. To many people, those who perpetrated that grandiose anomaly should be hanged because they allegedly stole billions of Covid finds most of which were sourced from foreign borrowings.

The following senatorial bets refused to support the Gordon report. If these trapos are not for us, then they are against us. First, Pia Cayetano, who is supposed to be a brilliant lawyer, sister of the former speaker, now her fellow senator and for the longest time styled herself as an advocate for health and women's rights. Second, Bong Go who is closely associated with the Dutertes, who are close friends of the people behind Pharmally. If Go is for the supplier and against the people, why should we support him?

Third and fourth, Lito Lapid and Bong Revilla. I know of no landmark laws authored by these action stars. But to add insult to injury, they refused to denounce the Pharmally imbroglio. Fifth and sixth, Imee Marcos and Francis Tolentino.Their behaviors speak for themselves. Imee wants to have the best of both worlds, the world of Marcos and the world of Duterte. The same with Tolentino, the ultimate balimbing. Both of them should lose the elections. They are the most clever, astute and deceptive of all.

BBM bragged in Ilocos that his choices have no links to Pogo and the whole caboodle of shenanigans related to gambling and crimes. The truth is the exact opposite. BBM's bets supported the law that legalized Pogo, including Pia Cayetano (again), his own sister, Imee, Tito Sotto, Manny Pacquiao and Bong Revilla who, without batting an eyelash, joined Bong Go and Bato de la Rosa, all for Pogo. BBM should better check his facts. The people are not dumb.

The president in his opening salvo in Ilocos claimed that none of his bets are linked with the alleged extra-judicial killing and summary execution being looked into by the ICC. The truth is that many of BBM allies voted to oust senator Leila de Lima from her crusading chairmanship of the Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights that relentlessly investigated the alleged EJK supposedly linked with the anti-drug war of Duterte.

Who were those who conspired to unseat the highly independent and crusading de Lima: Tito Sotto, Manny Pacquiao, Alan Peter Cayetano (another consummate balimbing), Cynthia Villar who wants her daughter Camille to replace her in the senate as if Mark Villar is not enough to protect the Villar business empire. They were joined together by senators Loren Legarda, Grace Poe, Nancy Binay, Win Gatchalian, Joel Villanueva, Dick Gordon, Koko Pimentel ("et tu, Brute?) and even Migz Zubiri, of all people. And Ping Lacson, my greatest disappointment.

Now, are you going to vote for people who supported the Pharmally, who enacted the Pogo law and who conspired to oust a truly crusading senator, Leila de Lima? Are you going to give your trust again to people who violated your confidence, not once, not twice but three times and even more?

As for me and and my house, I would rather vote for Sonny Matula, defender of the poor working class, for Bam Aquino, author of the free college education law, Heidi Mendoza mortal enemy of the likes of Mary Grace Piattos, and Francis Pangilinan, author of more than 200 laws which help build the nation and support the people.

Our political choices determine our national destiny, our preferences produce the kind of government we shall have. For once in your life, I ask you to be right this time and refuse to be deceived again. We may not have another chance.