MANILA, Philippines — El Shaddai, one of the biggest religious groups in the country headed by Bro. Mike Velarde, has endorsed the senatorial bid of former Philippine National Police chief Gen. Guillermo Eleazar.
Eleazar, who is running for senator under the Partido Reporma, was introduced to members of El Shaddai during a gathering in Parañaque City last Sunday.
“The one elected by the people is elected by God. We don’t just choose anyone. Our choice should be clear, clear as day,” Velarde said in Filipino.
For his part, Eleazar expressed gratitude to Velarde for trusting him and recognizing his qualifications.
“I thank Bro. Mike Velarde for his trust in my capability to continue my service to our countrymen. This is a major source of strength as I pursue my commitment to serve the Filipino with dignity and integrity,” said Eleazar.
“I will not ruin the trust Bro. Mike Velarde and the El Shaddai have given me to serve as voice of the people in their day-to-day struggle,” he added.
Eleazar vowed to further improve peace and order in the country, explaining that the development of any area or country is always anchored on peace and order.
He added that each Filipino family must feel safe and protected in the community.
He told El Shaddai members of two important values that he learned from his parents that have served as guiding light in his 38 years in the military and police services – first is to ensure to do one’s best in everything that he does no matter how small the task is and to keep one’s integrity intact in everything he does.
Eleazar also stressed that helping one another is key to peaceful and orderly living in communities.
No endorsement needed
Guest candidates need not endorse any candidate running for higher post, senatorial aspirant and former vice president Jejomar Binay said yesterday.
In a statement, Binay also said he never applied to be a guest candidate of any ticket.
Binay revealed that he had a gentleman’s agreement with those who are adopting him as guest candidate that he would not endorse any candidate running for higher post.
“I did not declare my support for anyone, and I did not attend any event because I’m a man of my word,” he said.
Sen. Panfilo Lacson, who is running for president in the May 9 elections, debunked rumors that they have dropped Binay and Sen. Richard Gordon from the tandem’s senatorial slate.
“Not true at all that we are dropping, much less have removed ex-VP Binay and Sen. Gordon from our slate. As far as SP (Vicente) Sotto (III) and I are concerned, they are gentlemen enough to stick to our agreement. We are, as well,” Lacson said.
Hike in teachers’ pay
In other developments, re-electionist Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian is pushing to increase teachers’ salaries by about P5,000 to uplift their morale and to motivate more students to join the country’s teaching force.
Gatchalian is proposing to raise the salary grade of Teacher I from SG11 to either SG13 or 14.
Based on estimates by the senator’s office, this will require an additional P58.6 billion, on top of the P379.6-billion annual compensation of Teachers I, II and III.
Gatchalian pointed out that the entry-level pay for Filipino teachers is lower compared with that of other Southeast Asian countries such as Indonesia (equivalent to P66,099), Singapore (P60,419), Malaysia (P44,496), Thailand (P37,152) and Vietnam (P36,115).
Meanwhile, a party-list group representing the agriculture sector and its allied industries has expressed support for Sorsogon Gov. Chiz Escudero’s senatorial bid in the May 9 elections.
The Alliance for Resilience Sustainability and Empowerment (ARISE), a regional political group based in Bicol, declared their support for Escudero, owing to his strong commitment to protect the interests of the agriculture sector and its allied industries as well as the marginalized.
The party-list group, whose members include farmers, fisherfolks, women, drivers, agriculture workers, indigenous peoples and the youth spread out in the provinces of Sorsogon, Albay, Camarines Sur, Camarines Norte and Masbate also took note of the governor’s “exemplary feats” in the Sorsogon’s fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and for “supporting the needs of Sorsoganons for food and jobs, ensuring that no family got hungry during the difficult period of lockdowns.”
Strong judicial system
Senatorial aspirant and human rights lawyer Chel Diokno has committed to strengthen the judicial system in the country by establishing free legal assistance desks in every barangay.
Diokno said he is fully aware of the problems in the country’s justice system, particularly those faced by poor Filipinos who are deprived of their rights because they do not have access to free legal assistance.
“My dream is that every Filipino will have access to free legal services in their barangays that can address their questions and refer them to proper representation,” he added.
Diokno, who chairs the Free Legal Assistance Group and is the founding dean of the De La Salle University College of Law, stressed the importance of leveling the playing field ang giving poor Filipinos a fighting chance in their pursuit for justice.
If elected, he also committed to improving the country’s barangay justice system by strengthening the Lupong Tagapamayapa and helping them in dealing with legal issues among residents.
Meanwhile, re-electionist Sen. Risa Hontiveros reiterated her call for an investigation on “troll farms” and fake news peddlers who spread misinformation online.
“I will definitely support a bill that will hold producers of fake news accountable,” Hontiveros said in a statement, noting that regulatory mechanisms should be imposed on platforms that fail to control the spread of fake news on their platforms.
“If other countries can support anti-fake news initiatives, then the Philippines can do the same thing… We cannot allow these practices to go unpunished. Let us do everything to ensure that the truth will prevail,” she added. – Janvic Mateo, Jose Rodel Clapano