FORMER President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III was in Cebu Tuesday, March 26, to endorse “Otso Diretso.”
According to Wikipedia, Otso Diretso “is the political multi-party electoral alliance of the parties' senatorial lineup for the 2019 midterm elections, which is in opposition to President Rodrigo Duterte.”
Aquino believes the silent majority will vote straight for their eight candidates because the group is a “genuine” fiscalizer in the Senate.
“Our focus now is to spread to the entire nation that these are the candidates of Otso Diretso. If we get the people's awareness, there will be good conversation from campaign to votes,” he said.
Aquino said he had made himself available by attending meetings and coming up with strategies to make the people aware of their platforms of government.
He said he would go around the country to campaign for the group because he felt guilt for keeping silent on certain issues like social injustices, extrajudicial killings and the rapid increases in prices of commodities, among others.
He said he still had several allies in Cebu who had been silent because they were afraid of being harassed. However, they have been working silently and effectively to support “Otso Diretso,” he said.
When asked why the Cebuanos should vote “Otso Diretso,” Aquino said that should they win, they would complete the two-thirds Senate members who could come up with legislation for the good of the people and not for one leader or one party.
The former president said if the people were not happy with a leader who used gutter language, attacked institutions and practiced leadership of fear, the solution would be to vote straight “Otso Diretso” candidates.
With Aquino in the “democracy forum” at the Southwestern University Phinma last Tuesday were senatorial candidates Samira Gutuc, Chel Diokno, Florin Hilbay, Erin Tañada and Makalintal. (EOB)