CITY OF SAN FERNANDO – The fisherfolk alliance Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) appealed yesterday to the newly elected senators not to allow themselves to become “lapdogs of Malacanang.”
The group, which had endorsed the candidacy of election topnotcher Grace Poe, also expressed hope she would “take up the cause of the downtrodden.”
“A rubber stamp Senate is a big taboo to the people. The tradition of puppetry and Old Boys Club politics must be put to end,” Pamalakaya vice chairperson Salvador France said.
France stressed that while most of the winners come from the President’s Liberal Party, “they must stay independent and should never be lapdogs of Malacanang”.
“We are also keeping eye on senatorial topnotcher Grace Poe to fulfil her promise to take the cause of farmers and workers in the country,” France said.
He expressed “hope that Ms. Poe will take the cause of the downtrodden people and stand against political patronage and survival politics policy of the Aquino government and the ringleaders of the ruling gangland in Malacanang.”
Pamalakaya, as well as the partylist group Anakpawis had endorsed the senatorial candidacy of Poe during the their “miting de avance” in Liwasang Bonifacio last May 7.
Pamalakaya added, however, that among the 12 new senators, they expected Sonny Angara and Bam Aquino to “assume lapdog roles.”
“Angara Jr. is the poster boy of Aquino’s Apeco project in Aurora, while cousin Bam is tapped to protect the Aquino’s chief interest— the Hacienda Luisita beyond 2016. As for the rest, we hope they rise above the occasion and junk the plan of Malacanang to convert the Senate into a rubber stamp of Aquino,” France also said.
