Is it 2019 yet? Speaker Alvarez tells Bacolod to vote 12-0 in senatorial race

The oath-taking rites of the new members of the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) somehow turned into a political rally when House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez asked the crowd to vote straight the ruling party’s senatorial slate in 2019.

Alvarez administered the oath of more than 2,000 Negrenses, who joined the administration party on Thursday, October 5, at the University Negros Occidental-Recoletos gymnasium in Bacolod City.

“Ngayon pa lang, nakikiusap ako sa inyo, dahil miyembro na kayo ng PDP: p’wede ba sa dadating na halalan, sa 2019, p’weda ba 12-0 ha?” he told the crowd who witnessed the oathtaking. (This early, I’m asking you, since you’re now members of PDP: Is it possible that we make it 12-0 in the upcoming elections in 2019?)

It drew cheers from the crowd.

He continued: “Kung sino ang line-up ng ating partido, ‘yun lang ikakampanya natin, ‘yun lang sasabihin natin sa ating supporters: eto bobotohin para mabilis magagawa ng pangulo ang pagbabago na gawin para sa ating bayan,” he said, drawing more cheers from the crowd.

(Whoever is the line-up of our party, we will campaign for them. We will tell our supporters to vote for them so the President could hastily implement change for our country

‘Mabagal na kapulungan’

Further, Alvarez called the Senate as “mabagal na kapulungan,” because they are slow on acting the bills while the House of Representatives, the “masagang kapulungan,” are hardworking.

He added there are about 180 bills that are pending at the upper house.

“Kaya kinausap ko ang ibang congressmen na lumipat doon sa senado para bumilis sila, (That’s why I talked to some congressmen to transfer in the senate so they will be faster),” Alvarez said.

He said the ruling party is pushing for Negros Occidental 3rd District Representative Alfredo Benitez and Bataan 1st District Representative Geraldine Roman to run for senator in the 2019 elections.

Benitez is the 3rd richest congressman in the country, while Roman is the first transgender politician to be elected to the House.  

Joining Alvarez in his Negros Occidental visit were Roman, Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi, and Internal Revenue Deputy Commissioner Jesus Clint Aranas. – Rappler.com