Senate bets Afuang, Diokno, Generoso, Meniano, Osmeña discuss platforms on 'Kandidato'

With the May 2019 Elections just a couple months away, voters must get to know the candidates vying for a spot in the Senate.

Senatorial hopefuls Abner Afuang, Chel Diokno, Ding Generoso, Luther Meniano, and Sergio Osmeña III  discussed their platforms in the latest episode of GMA News TV's Investigative Documentaries: Kandidato series.

Abner Afuang to fight for senior citizens' rights

Abner Afuang spent his younger years fighting criminals as a policeman and bounty hunter. Now he wants to fight for the rights of senior citizens.

"Meron diyang senior advocacy, puro dada. Pag ako naging senador, yung 60 ibababa ko hanggang 56, akin yang plataporma na yan. At lahat ng senior citizens sa buong Pilipinas, libre sa expressway, libre sa parking," he said.

He also wants all those who want to be government officials to undergo a lie detector test.

Afuang made headlines in 1982 when he killed four alleged car thieves during a shootout in Magallanes. In 1992, he hung up his badge.

He served as the mayor of Pagsanjan in Laguna from 1998 to 2001 but was not reelected.

He also became known for burning a Singapore flag in 1995 in protest of the execution of Pinay domestic helper Flor Contemplacion, and then was banned from the Senate office after pouring water on Hayden Kho during a senate hearing in 2009.

Chel Diokno on a mission to fix the justice system

Atty. Jose Manuel "Chel" Diokno says it's high time for the Philippine justice system to be fixed.

"Sobrang bagal ng paglilinis ng kaso. Ang isang dahilan niya ay kulang na kulang tayo ng judge. Hindi lang yung pagpupuno ng mga pwesto, kundi yung kalidad ng justice system. Kailangan matanggal natin ang pulitika sa proseso ng pagpipili ng judge," he said.

Diokno is only just now entering politics, despite his father Jose "Pepe" Diokno, and grandfather Ramon Diokno's record.

However, Diokno has been a lawyer for 30 years. He is the chairman of the Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG) founded by his father during Martial Law. The organization aids those victimized during that era.

He is also the founding dean of the De La Salle University College of Law in 2010.

Ding Generoso on changing the system and federalism

Conrad "Ding" Generoso wants to change the system of Philippine politics, and believes this can be achieved through federalism.

Generoso did not finish college, nor take up law school, and he was almost dismissed as a nuisance candidate by the Commission on Elections, but he says his experience with column writing taught him enough about law. He also worked as a PR consultant or political strategist for different government agencies, and founded the Bagong Sistema Bagon Pag-asa in 2015.

He served as the spokesperson of the Consultative Committee (ConCom) from February to August 2018, and said has been mulling the concept of federalism as far back as when President Rodrigo Duterte was still the mayor of Davao City.

"Kung gusto natin baguhin yung sistema ng gobyerno, kailangan natin baguhin yung ating Konstitusyon, because it is the Constitution na nagdedefine kung anong klaseng gobyerno tayo meron," he said.

"Bumuo tayo ng isang gobyerno sa rehiyon na yun ang magiging gabay nila at magiging instrumento para sila ay magkaisa sa isang layunin na paunlarin ang kanilang rehiyon," he added.

Luther Meniano on aquaponics

Luther Meniano, running under the Labor Party Philippines, wants to address the Philippines' problematic aquaculture, using his expert knowledge on aquaculture and hydroponics.

Meniano is the President and CEO of Greenphil Aquaculture and Hydroponics Holding Inc. Mandaluyong, which has 14 subsidiaries across the country. The company is in the business of farming fish and plants.

"Itong pinapahayag ko is more on aquaculture and hydroponics. We all know that Philippines having 7,100 islands, for now backwardness na ang aquaculture ng Pilipinas dahil nalalaman natin na tayo ay nag-i-import na ng galungong," he said.

Meniano grew up poor. He recalls having to struggle to find food to eat, sometimes making do with a turon.

If elected, he wants to put an end to contractualization, improve the lives of farmers and fisherfolk, and aid in getting informal settlers their own land.

Sergio Osmeña III supports anti-dynasty law

Sergio Osmeña III supports the anti-dynasty law hailing from a political clan in Cebu. He is the grandson of former President Sergio Osmeña, and his father Sergio Osmeño Jr. served as governor and mayor of Cebu, then as a senator from 1965 to 1971.

"Yung political dynasty, dynasty na kontrolado ang resulta ng eleksyon, or more or less controlled. So for example ako ay governor ng Cebu, at tatakbo yung anak ko for congressman of Cebu, kontrolado ko ang eleksyon. Hindi dapat gawin yun. Pero kung ako ay senador, ikaw ay governor sa Cebu, walang control yan," he said.

Osmeña had previously won a seat in the Senate in the 1995 elections, and was reelected during the 2001 elections. However, he failed to secure a spot in the 2010 elections. Before his political career, he held high positions in private companies.

Osmeña said he wants to push for job-related laws, like mechanizing farms, and getting the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) to expand its reach by two to three times.

—Jessica Bartolome/JST, GMA News