After over two decades of experience covering the plight of Filipinos in all regions of the country, broadcast journalist and independent senatorial candidate Jiggy Manicad has vowed to fight corruption if elected, citing that corruption hits the poor the hardest.
“My job as a reporter was to give a voice to the voiceless, and that consisted of telling the stories of the poorest Filipinos. You’ll really see the effect of corruption anywhere you go, whether it’s lack of equipment in schools, lack of medicines in supposed health centers, and ghost projects,” Manicad said.
The journalist, who himself grew up from a poor family in a house along the railtracks in Laguna, lamented that there is a “score of issues” that have yet to be documented and addressed.
“For example, one of the problems that we should find a solution was the issue of the farm-to-market roads na magandang tingnan sa papel, pero pag pumunta ka na roon, papunta lang pala siya sa bahay ng pulitiko,” he said.
According to Manicad, his exposure to the impact of corruption pushed him to seek a “higher level of public service”.
“As a reporter, the best you could do is to call for action, but as a legislator, you could create that action. You could institutionalize it,” he said.
“In the case of corruption, we run after those who have stolen millions, billions, but we also need to look at the crimes done at the barangay level, the barrio level. Kailangan may hustisya sa taas at sa baba,” he added.
Manicad has also proposed to include the drive against corruption as one of the core themes in values education in the national curriculum. This, he said, would inculcate in the young the importance of honesty, transparency, and empathy for others. Macon Ramos-Araneta
The multi-awarded journalist has often highlighted that although he is one of the senatorial candidates with the smaller budget, his rich experience in uncovering the struggles of Filipinos stricken by poverty, homelessness, disaster, and other crises provide him with a grounded purpose to fight corruption as an aspiring politician.
In a Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey conducted in December 2018, “will not be corrupt” was the trait that topped the list of qualities Filipinos look for in a senatorial candidate.
