Dick Gordon promises to be an independent senator

Philippine Red Cross chairman Richard Gordon on Tuesday said he will remain independent if he is again proclaimed senator.

In an interview with News To Go, Gordon said he is willing to give the Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte advice if needed.

“Pareho kaming nagmayor kaya naiintindihan ko siya eh. Sa tingin ko, I would be ready to give advice, siyempre kung hindi maayos, bigyan ng pagkakataon na gawin ang plataporma niya,” he said.

Gordon ran for senator as an independent candidate, under the ticket of tandem Senators Grace Poe and Francis "Chiz" Escudero.

Poe and Escudero have both conceded.

He said if ever Duterte's administration would commit mistakes, he will be the first to stand against the president.

“At siyempre kung tumatagilid at hindi maganda ang gagawin, siyempre maninindigan tayo. I’ve always been an independent person. Mas importante ang relasyon ko sa bansa at sa tao,” Gordon said.

Gordon has been consistently in the top 10 candidates in the partial and unofficial count based data from the transparency server of the Commission on Elections.

As of 3 p.m., Gordon is placed fifth with 15,829,829.

Duterte, meanwhile, continues to lead by a wide margin in the partial and unofficial tally.

Gordon had served as senator from 2004 to 2010. He ran for the presidency in the 2010 elections, but lost to President Benigno Aquino III.

“After my experiences in life, it doesn’t matter kung makabalik ako, manalo o matalo, I am ready to serve...Win or lose, dapat magsilbi,” he said.

If he is proclaimed senator, Gordon said he will advocate for education.

The former senator underscored the importance of education to alleviate poverty in the country.

“Siyempre edukasyon, because talagang kulelat tayo diyan, kahit anong gawin ng pangulo, ang tao mahirap pa rin. Ang kailangan ng tao ‘yung mahusay na edukasyon para itaas ang antas ng guro,” Gordon said.

He underscored that prioritizing education would create more jobs for the people.

“Kapag may edukasyon, may hanapbuhay, kapag may infrastructure, may hanapbuhay,” he stressed.

He said he would improve education by giving scholarship programs to students and providing better pay to teachers and professors.

Aside from education, Gordon would want to focus on tourism and foreign direct investment in his upcoming term as senator. —Kiersnerr Gerwin Tacadena/ALG, GMA News