MANILA, Philippines – Opposition senatorial ticket Otso Diretso has kicked off an online fundraising campaign to help the operations of its young volunteers. 

Senator Francis Pangilinan, Otso Diretso campaign manager, tweeted the link to a GoGetFunding account of a certain John Paul delas Nievas entitled “Otso Diretso Volunteer Campaign” on Wednesday, February 27. 

Mga kababayan sa loob at labas ng bansa tulungan natin sila…

Alejano
Aquino
Diokno
Gutoc
Hilbay
Macalintal
Roxas
Tañada….sila ang Otso Diretso.

Donate and help them fight for you, your hopes and our nation.https://t.co/tOPlzb8pkn

— Kiko Pangilinan (@kikopangilinan) February 27, 2019

The link contains a letter from Pangilinan himself, who is asking the public to support its young campaign volunteers who are helping raise voters’ awareness on Otso Diretso, most of whom are first-time senatorial candidates. (READ: Can Otso Diretso do a repeat of Robredo’s 2016 victory?)

Pangilinan said that while people already know the 8 opposition senatorial candidates as being competent and principled, but they need to be introduced to more voters through a well-funded national campaign.

“Anumang husay, karanasan, at paninindigan ang mayroon sila, mababalewala ito kung hindi sila kilala, kung hindi sila makakapagpatakbo ng isang pambansang kampanya. Para gawin ito, nangangailangan sila ng pondo – isang bagay na kapos ang marami sa kanila. Pero matutulungan natin sila,” he said.

(Whatever brilliance, experience, and principles they have would be overlooked if they  are unknown, if they cannot stage a nationwide campaign. To do this, they need funds – one thing that many of them lack. But we can help them.) 

Pangilinan then explained getting young volunteers was the opposition coalition’s response to its lack of campaign money and machinery. (READ: Otso Diretso goes door-to-door in vote-rich Cebu)

“Upang matapatan ang bilyun-bilyong gastos ng ibang mga kandidato, nag-organisa tayo ng isang grassroots campaign na pinangungunahan ng youth volunteers, kung saan personal at tao-sa-tao tayong nangangampanya para sa Otso Diretso,” said Pangilinan. 

(To compete with the billions worth of funds of other candidates, we organized a grassroots campaign led by youth volunteers, where they personally campaign for Otso Diretso.) 

“Malayo ang mararating ng iyong P1,000 na kontribusyon para sa ating volunteers sa kanilang weekly house-to-house drives, sa iba’t ibang bahagi ng Pilipinas. Magandang inisyatiba ang kampanyang na ito: Simple, tapat, at epektibo,” he added.

(Your P1,000 will go very far in helping our volunteers in their weekly house-to-house drives, in different parts of the Philippines. This is a good initiative: Simple, honest, and effective.) 

As of early Thursday morning, February 28, the fundraising campaign has garnered a total of P29,800 worth of donations from 19 backers.  

Otso Diretso is targeting to raise a total of P8 million by the May elections. – Rappler.com