As the Senatorial candidates take to the hustings starting today, House Independent Bloc leader Rep. Martin Romualdez has sought the people’s “trust and support” for him to carry out and fulfill his platform and programs in the Senate aimed at returning “malasakit” (compassion) to public service.
Romualdez, a lawyer and president of the Philippine Constitution Association, has vowed to push for free education and good health services, better livelihood and job opportunities, ensuring public safety from various calamities, eliminate corruption and red tape, fight efficiency in public service, and delivery of other social services for Filipinos.
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“Tomorrow [today] is the beginning of the 90-day campaign period, let us all work to champion people’s interests and return the malasakit to public service. Let us help each other in seeking true democracy, justice and progress for Filipinos,” Romualdez, head of the House Independent Bloc and a three-term congressman who is running for the Senate under a platform anchored on compassionate governance, pointed out.
“Let us fulfill our duties and responsibilities to provide Filipinos better economy and better lives. There is a need to allocate more funding for education, health and other social services to ensure that those with less in life would enjoy more as malasakit of the government,” Romualdez, a shared senatorial candidate of Vice President Jejomar Binay and Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte who are both running for president, said.
Romualdez stressed “the government should work truly in giving Filipinos free and quality education because this would provide an expressway for them to escape poverty and unemployment.”
In filing his Certificate of Candidacy for senator last October, Romualdez made it his commitment to pursue the continuity of “malasakit” (compassion) legacy of his family in public service, including helping “Yolanda’’ victims, youth sector and persons with disabilities.
Romualdez comes from a long line of public servants. His father, Benjamin Trinidad “Kokoy” Romualdez, once served as governor of Leyte and was later appointed as Ambassador to the United States, China, and Saudi Arabia.
His great-grand-uncle, Miguel Lopez Romualdez, meanwhile, served as the first Mayor of the City of Manila.
The beyond reproach integrity, dedication, capability, reconciliatory and fiercely independent-minded attitude of Romualdez in serving the Filipino people especially during the onslaught of super Typhoon Yolanda have prompted his supporters to push his candidacy, stressing he can do better for the country if elected senator.
Because of excellent and transparent governance, Romualdez ran unopposed in the last 2013 polls for his third and last term as congressman.
Romualdez has worked very hard for the rehabilitation and rebuilding of Yolanda-hit areas despite the snail-paced action and assistance of the government.
Romualdez is known for his advocacy for the country’s persons with disabilities (PWDs) as he authored a measure in Congress that seeks to exempt PWDs from the payment of 12-percent value added tax (VAT) on certain goods and services especially this will benefit modern-day polinario Mabini who could get a full-20 percent discount in buying a new wheelchair.
Romualdez’s House Bill 1039 is currently pending before the Office of President waiting for the President’s signature so it will finally becomes a law.
Romualdez has also been vocal against the lump sum appropriations in the national budget and the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) that the Supreme Court (SC) declared unconstitutional and steadfast on his call for Congress to push peace with Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), provided that the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) is constitutionally-compliant.