‘Otso Diretso’ slate says mid-term polls a referendum on Duterte admin

Senatorial candidates of opposition coalition “Otso Diretso” believe the results of the 2019 midterm elections would reveal if Filipinos still favor the Duterte Administration’s policies.

The 2019 elections is a referendum on the Duterte administration, said Erin Tañada, opposition senatorial bet and former Quezon Representative, during a press conference in Caloocan City on Tuesday.

“Dito makikita natin talaga ‘yung mga pinaglalaban namin, ‘yung tingin naming mga polisiya na dapat itaguyod ng Otso Diretso, ‘yung mga polisiya na hindi dapat itaguyod ng gobyerno katulad ng EJK,” Tañada said.

“Ngayon natin malalaman kung ang taumbayan ay gusto ang ganitong pamamalakad o hindi. Tingin ko ito ay referendum ng Duterte administration,” he added.

The election is indirectly a referendum on Duterte and his administration as he has his own senatorial slate, former Solicitor General Florin Hilbay, who is also running for senator, said during the same press conference which coincides with the campaign season opening.

“I think, to that extent, it’s a campaign of contrasts na ginagawa namin. Kung makikita niyo naman ‘yung pwersa nila, ‘yung yaman nila, ‘yung dami nila diyan sa mga tarpaulin at kung anu-anong billboards na pinapakilala nila,” he said.

“So ang tingin namin, the coalition that is endorsed by the administration is a coalition of convenience, a coalition of traditional politicians. Whereas kami, we’re a coalition of principled men and women,” he added.

Magdalo party-list Representative Gary Alejano, meanwhile, noted that if they win, they would continue serving the public that helped install them in the Senate, even if the election is over.

“Wala kaming baon na batas kung ‘di kami magco-consult,” he said.

Deserving

Meanwhile, Vice President Leni Robredo said that though the opposition slate, composed of eight candidates, were not prominent in surveys they were nevertheless deserving of Senate seats.

“Ako, mahirap itong kampanyang ito. Mahirap in the sense na iyong ino-offer namin sa mga tao, mga taong hindi masyadong kilala. Pero iyong hirap kasi na iyon, iyon din iyong lakas—lakas na kahit hindi sila kilala, alam namin na deserving talaga,” Robredo said at the sidelines of Angat Buhay Bridging Leadership Program Graduation and Awarding Ceremony.

The opposition slate is composed of Sen. Bam Aquino, former Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas, former House Deputy Speaker Lorenzo “Erin” Tañada III, human rights lawyer Jose Manuel “Chel” Diokno, former Solicitor General Florin Hilbay, election lawyer Romulo Macalintal, aid worker Samira Gutoc and Rep. Gary Alejano of Magdalo party-list.

In the latest Pulse Asia poll released in January, only Aquino and Roxas are have made it to the Top 12 or the winners' circle with 32.6 percent and 35 percent rating respectively.

Tañada ranked 22nd to 31st with a 5.1 percent rating, while Diokno ranked 26th to 35th with a 3.4 percent rating.

Alejano placed 27th to 37th with a 2.8 percent score, while Macalintal placed 28th to 50th with 2.1 percent.

Gutoc only had a 1.3 percent rating to rank 34th to 55th, while Hilbay could only muster a 0.4 percent rating to rank 38th to 69th.

The survey has an error margin of ± 2.3 percent at the 95 percent confidence level, with subnational estimates for the following areas at 95 percent confidence level: ± 6.5 percent for Metro Manila, ± 3.5 percent for the rest of Luzon, ± 5.2 percent for Visayas, and ± 4.7 percent for Mindanao.

Still, Robredo was unfazed by the dismal numbers.

“Iyong aral na napulot ko sa sarili kong kampanya, na wala namang imposible basta pagtrabahuhan, para nag-a-appeal sa good sense pa din ng bawat isang boboto, na ang eleksyon, pagkakataon na itama iyong kamalian. Ang eleksyon, panahon na i-celebrate iyong kabutihan,” Robredo said, referring to her 2016 Vice Presidential campaign wherein she started at 1 percent in surveys before gradually gaining ground and winning the race vs. veteran politicians in then Senators Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr., Francis Escudero, Alan Peter Cayetano, Antonio Trillanes IV and Gringo Honasan.

Making change and reforms work, Robredo said, starts in electing the right people who will look for the public’s interest.

“Iyong amin lang pakiusap, pag-aralan [ang iboboto]. Marami tayong reklamo sa mga hindi magagandang nangyayari, pero ito kasi, kabahagi tayo nito. Nasa kamay natin iyong pagpipili ng tama at mali” Robredo said.

“Itong eleksyon ang pinakamalaking pagkakataon para gawin natin iyong tama,” Robredo added.

The opposition coalition opened its campaign in Caloocan City on Tuesday, going door-to-door in several areas and introducing themselves to residents.

Their official proclamation rally will happen in Naga City on Wednesday.

Completing Otso Diretso’s senatorial slate are Senator Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino IV, former Interior Secretary Mar Roxas, Marawi civic leader Samira Gutoc, human rights lawyer Chel Diokno, and election lawyer Romulo Macalintal. — VDS/DVM, GMA News