Monsour del Rosario is 1Sambayan's 11th Senate bet

DAGUPAN CITY — Opposition coalition 1Sambayan has endorsed former Makati representative and Olympian Monsour del Rosario as its 11th Senate bet.

Del Rosario, the first Filipino Olympian in taekwondo, is a member of Partido Reporma led by Davao del Norte lawmaker Pantaleon Alvarez who already declared support for the presidential bid of Vice President Leni Robredo.

"Our requirements are that he must have integrity, competence, and a vision for the country. He passed our interview," retired Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Carpio, co-convenor of 1-Sambayan, said in a news conference here.

"He passed with flying colors, but he is with Partido Reporma, but we are happy that he is back with us now. That is the most important," Carpio added.

Other 1-Sambayan Senate bets include:

1. Senator Richard Gordon
2. human rights lawyer Chel Diokno
3. labor leader Sonny Matula
4. incumbent Senator Risa Hontiveros
5. incumbent Senator Leila de Lima
6. former senator Antonio Trillanes IV
7. Kapatiran's Alex Lacson

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8. former Representative Teddy Baguilat
9. human rights lawyer Neri Colmenares and
10. labor leader Elmer Labog

Del Rosario said if elected Senator, he will push for a legislation that will establish assistance for children with special needs and monthly pension for national athletes who won medals for the country in the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games, Asian Games, World Championships and Olympic Games.

"When the pandemic hit, a lot of national team athletes, who became coaches, they lost their livelihood, the gyms closed. There was even an Olympian who asked for my help na ibenta ang Olympic medal niyan. We only have 300 Olympians and 10 Olympic medalist. Sabi ko, rare iyan, huwag mo ibenta," del Rosario said.

(A fellow Olympian asked for my help to help him sell his Olympic medal to think that medal is so rare to begin with.)

"Kaya po dapat may monthly pension, depende po sa medal na napanalunan," del Rosario, who won two gold medals in the SEA Games, added.

(That is why they need a monthly pension, with the rates based on the medal/s they won.)

In addition, del Rosario vouched for Vice President Robredo.

"I would like to thank Vice President Leni. I will fight for her because the Philippines deserves better," del Rosario said.

"If we don't choose the right leader...pag nagkamali tayo, lalo tayong lulubog," del Rosario added.

(If we elect the wrong president, our country will sink further.) —NB, GMA News