Despite gaining momentum in recent pre-election surveys, former senator and senatorial candidate Kiko Pangilinan acknowledged that more work needs to be done leading up to Election Day next month.
In a media interview in Cebu City on Thursday, April 10, the former senator joked that he needed to do more TikTok and Facebook content.
“We have 32 days to go until the end we have to keep pushing kasi nga tuwing tumataas tayo sa survey ay tumataas din yung bayarang trolls kaya kailangan talagang, we have to keep at it, convince and convince,” he said.
His campaign, he added, will continue to focus on his platform of food security, citing an SWS survey that said nine out of 10 voters will vote for a senator who champions food security and agriculture.
“Talagang, sabi nga nila, gut issue and we’re handling the gut issues,” Pangilinan, who is on a two-day visit in Cebu province for a series of activities organized by his supporters, stressed. “More and more people are realizing na yun talaga ang sinasabi natin.”
He is hopeful that once voters realized that the unfounded accusations hurled against him were untrue, they would be convinced to support his candidacy because of his track record or “resibo (receipt).”
“Hindi totoo na wala tayong nagawa. Pag nakita ninyo yung 200+ na mga batas na naipasa natin, bilang author, co-sponsor, sponsor, at pag nakita yung mga programang naimplementa na natin at yung ating track record, yung resibo ay mas lalong makukumbinsi pa,” he added.
If he succeeds in his Senate comeback bid, the former senator vowed to continue pushing for laws and policies that will improve the lives of ordinary Filipinos, address food security challenges, provide more income-generating opportunities for farmers and fisherfolk, and uplift the welfare of school children through his proposed “Libreng Almusal” program.
Even amid the political bickering from all sides of the political spectrum, Pangilinan said he will keep his eyes on the challenges that Filipinos face, particularly in solving hunger, malnutrition, and poverty.
“Ang pagkain, hindi dapat maging pribilehiyo, kundi isang karapatan. Prayoridad nating pababain ang presyo ng mga pagkain at handa tayong makipagtulungan kahit kanino. Dahil walang kulay ang gutom. At walang kulay ang solusyon.”