De Lima hopeful on reelection bid, Baguilat wears bahag in push for transparency

Detained Senator Leila de Lima remains hopeful of reelection, while former Ifugao representative Teddy Baguilat showed up in traditional bahag to underscore transparency, as Vice President Leni Robredo and her Senate slate kicked off their campaign in Camarines Sur.

De Lima, who has been in detention since February 2017 on drug-related charges she has strongly denied, was represented by a standee and her lawyer, Dino de Leon, at the campaign event.

"Given my situation as PDL (Person Deprived of Liberty), my reelection bid is, in real and palpable terms, handicapped or disadvantaged. Kaya umaasa po ako na sa pamamagitan ng aking mga surrogates o proxies sa mga sorties, pre-recorded na video messages, at syempre, mga dispatches from Crame, ay mapaparating ko po sa mga botante ang aking mga saloobin, hangarin at plataporma," De Lima said in a statement issued coinciding with the Iriga campaign stop of the opposition slate led by Robredo and running mate Senator Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan.

(I am hopeful that through my surrogates and proxies during sorties, pre-recorded messages and dispatches, I will be able to communicate my thoughts and platform.)

Prior to her detention, De Lima led the Senate probe on drug war and alleged extrajudicial killings during the Duterte administration.

De Lima, who hails from Iriga City, said her continued detention has not prevented her from fighting for her advocacies, especially with all the help, compassion and love she receives from supporters who are offering their time and resources to campaign for her.

De Lima said the reasons she decided to seek for reelection include, among others, her goals to further advance her five foremost advocacies, namely, on social justice, human rights, criminal justice reform, good governance and rule of law, and national sovereignty, and to continue protecting democracy and the democratic institutions damaged by Duterte.

“For my fellow Bicolanos and Filipinos, this is Leila De Lima. I am soldiering on, fighting on. I am knocking on your hearts again so I can continue with mandate as a Senator. Together, we will fight on," she added.

Since her detention, one of the three charges filed against de Lima has been ordered dismissed by the court due to lack of evidence.

The last candidate to get elected in the Senate despite detention is former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, who won a Senate seat in 2007 while in detention due to rebellion charges after protesting alleged military corruption.

Transparency

Baguilat, for his part, came in a traditional bahag as a part of the indigenous people of Ifugao province to push for honest governance led by Robredo.

"Ako po ay naglakas-loob na magbahag para igiit ang good governance ni President Leni Robredo. Bilang katutubo, kaya po ako nagbahag kasi wala po akong tinatagong katiwalian at kasinungalingan," Baguilat said.

"Ang tawag po rito, transparency," Baguilat added, drawing cheers from the crowd.

(I am in bahag to stress the good governance of President Leni Robredo. As an indigenous person, I am in bahag to show that I am not hiding any lies or questionable action. This is called transparency.)

Baguilat, who is pushing government programs that will help the industry shift from  fossil fuel dependence to clean and renewable energy as well as responsible mining, said the time has come to take a crack at the "solid North," referring to provinces in northern Luzon that have been a traditional bailiwick for former senator Bongbong Marcos and his family.

"Susubukan  natin biyakin ang Solid North. Kaya maghalal po tayo ng bagong mukha sa Senado," he added.

(We will try to break through in the solid North. So let's vote for a new face in the Senate.) — BM, GMA News