'I will never surrender!' Miriam vows despite lagging in surveys

Despite ranking last in the latest Pulse Asia survey for presidential candidates, Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago on Friday maintained that she will continue with her bid for presidency in order to uplift the country from its economic and moral slump.

In a speech before the students at Our Lady of Fatima University in Valenzuela City, Santiago declared she won't be quitting the race.

“Even as we gather in this hot place, notwithstanding the inconvenience, I will never stop. I will never quit! I will never surrender!” Santiago declared drawing cheers from the crowd.

In a Pulse Asia survey for February released on Friday, Santiago ranked last among the five presidential candidates for the May 9 elections garnering the favor of only three percent of the 1,800 respondents.

Santiago’s rating dropped by one percentage point from Pulse Asia’s survey in January.

In her address, she said candidates in the upcoming elections have already lost the moral ascendancy to lead the nation due to issues of corruption and indecency such as having extra-marital affairs.

“Anong klaseng mga tao ito, tatakbo silang leader pero antimano may pera na sila, saan nila kinuha yan kundi nila ninakaw nila sa kaban ng gobyerno?” Santiago said.

Santiago pointed out that most of her fellow presidential candidates have already spent millions to billions of pesos even before the official start of the campaign period on February 9.

“Ngayon, ang pagtatanong ko sa inyo ay ganito, sa ilalim ng ating batas, the commencement of the formal campaign period is on February 9. Pero bago yung February 9 nagkampanya na at malaking malaking pera ang nailagay nitong mga kanidato sa mga advertisement sa telebisyon,” Santiago said.

“May mga milyon, may mga bilyon. Saan nila kinuha itong milyon at bilyon? Ang titigas ng ulo nila. Pagkatapos kapag nahalal na ang mga yan, kapag naupo na, magnanakaw ulit yan. Gusto ba natin ang ganyan?” Santiago added to a resounding response of “No!” from the audience.

Santiago said if elected president, she will focus on reducing poverty rate and in restoring moral excellence in governance.

“Hindi tama na yung iba sa atin sobrang yaman at yung iba sobrang hirap. Hindi dapat napaka laki ng agwat na yung iba ay wala nalang naiwan sakanila,” Santiago said.

Santiago said that while corruption and poverty is rampant in the country, “change is still possible” if a president with “academic excellence, professional excellence and moral excellence” is elected.

“It is time for the Filipino people to rise up and fight…Let’s make a pledge today to fight for our country,” Santiago said. —JST, GMA News