In his homecoming in Marinduque, former Senator and senatorial candidate Kiko Pangilinan appeals to his fellow Marinduqueños to back his Senate comeback bid in the coming polls next month and bring his platform of food security back at the forefront of the chamber’s legislative agenda.


Being a Nepomuceno on his mother’s side—the N in Francis N. Pangilinan stands for Nepomuceno—the former senator considers himself partly Marinduqueño, having spent some of his summers as a kid in the province.


In fact, he shared fond memories of swimming in the Boac River and having undergone a “putong” ritual, a traditional ceremony practiced in Marinduque of welcoming guests and celebrating special events.


“I consider part of my family roots dito sa Boac dito sa Marinduque at palagay ko wala nang ibang senador na galing dito so sana, matulungan naman tayo ng ating mga kapwa kababayan na Marinduqueño dito sa darating na halalan,” he said during a press conference on Wednesday, April 16.


“Tatlong beses ako nanalo dito sa Marinduque bilang senador, at tatlong beses niyo ako pinagkatiwalaan at sa record ko never ako nasangkot sa anumang kasong anomalya dahil nagtiwala kayo sa akin,” he added.


He reminded voters to vote based on experience, integrity, and track record, noting that voting for corrupt officials is akin to hitting one’s self on the head with a stone.


“Makakaasa kayo na ang pagmamahal natin ay dahil mahal natin ang ating mga anak, mahal natin ang ating bansa at dapat ipaglalaban sila para mas magkaroon ng mas magandang kinabukasan,” Pangilinan said.


“Iboto natin ‘yung karapat-dapat. Iboto natin yung mga may track record, yung totoo at tapat at meron nang nagawa,” he stressed. “Maging mapagbantay, busisiin ng husto, at iboto ‘yung karapat-dapat, yung meron tapat at totoo at maayos na hangarin.”


The former senator, who is running on the platform of food security and lower prices of food, was once a food security czar who brought down rice inflation to just 0.8% and overall inflation in the country to 1.5% in 2015—the lowest recorded in 20 years.


While he had been running his campaign independently, Pangilinan assured that political colors will not matter to him once he’s back in the Senate.


Instead, he will work across the political spectrum and focus on addressing the most pressing challenges faced by the country and by Filipinos.


“Walang kulay ang gutom. Ang solusyon, wala rin kulay. Kaya handa tayong makipagtrabaho sa sino man na may parehas nating hangarin para sa bansa. Hindi natin kalaban ang isa’t isa. Ang tunay na kalaban ng ating bayan ay gutom at kahirapan at korapsyon.”