Group In Cebu Calls On VP Leni Robredo To Run For President
A group in Cebu composed of different sectors is asking Vice President Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo to run for the country’s highest executive post next year.
Gemma Rosacena, representing the small vendors of Cebu City, said they’ve been displaced since the government started clearing the roads in 2019.
“Nga unta kaming paminawon ang among panawagan kaming mga gagmayng mamindahay diri sa Sugbo nahiagum sa dakong pagsuway sa Sugbo. Tungod sa clearing sa mga roads, subo pamalanduongon ang LGU sa Cebu iyang literal nga pagsabot. Ingon sila dili kulban sa kaldero, apan nakulban gyud. (We hope you will listen to the appeals of the small vendors of Cebu who are now facing a crisis. This road clearning operation has pushed us to our limits and sadly the local government of Cebu is not helping us. They said they will not let us go hungry, but we are now hungry),” Rosacena said in a press conference on Tuesday in Cebu City.
She said they’ve been to the offices of Cebu City Mayor Edgar Labella and Office of the Presidential Assistant for the Visayas Secretary Michael Dino, but were ignored.
“Among panawagan mahal nga bise presidente nga ikaw ang mauna aning battle sa 2022 imo kaming ubanaon kay mokuyog kami kanimo. (We call on the Vice President to lead us in the 2022 battle, be with us and we will not leave you.)” she said.
Some urban poor groups in this region also expressed their support for Robredo, saying they have had enough of the extra-judicial killings under the Duterte administration. They said majority of the victims of these unjust killings targeted the poor.
Margarita Manatad, who represented the urban poor groups, said many of their members’ houses were demolished because the government failed to implement the Community Mortgage Program, which should have allowed urban poor members to own low-cost housing units.
Barangay San Nicolas, Cebu City chairman Clifford Jude Ninal, who represented the transport sector, said the country needs a new leader who will see the plight of the drivers and operators. Ninal said many of their members are still suffering from the pandemic and the government’s failure to address the problems.
He said that while they have to embrace the jeepney modernization program, the government must also not forget the hundreds of drivers that will be displaced.
Hal Atienza of Cebu Citizens Assembly, organizer of the event, said they also have the support from organizations from Leyte, Negros and other areas in the country. Atienza said they will forward their letters to Robredo on Wednesday.
Gemma Rosacena, representing the small vendors of Cebu City, said they’ve been displaced since the government started clearing the roads in 2019.
“Nga unta kaming paminawon ang among panawagan kaming mga gagmayng mamindahay diri sa Sugbo nahiagum sa dakong pagsuway sa Sugbo. Tungod sa clearing sa mga roads, subo pamalanduongon ang LGU sa Cebu iyang literal nga pagsabot. Ingon sila dili kulban sa kaldero, apan nakulban gyud. (We hope you will listen to the appeals of the small vendors of Cebu who are now facing a crisis. This road clearning operation has pushed us to our limits and sadly the local government of Cebu is not helping us. They said they will not let us go hungry, but we are now hungry),” Rosacena said in a press conference on Tuesday in Cebu City.
She said they’ve been to the offices of Cebu City Mayor Edgar Labella and Office of the Presidential Assistant for the Visayas Secretary Michael Dino, but were ignored.
“Among panawagan mahal nga bise presidente nga ikaw ang mauna aning battle sa 2022 imo kaming ubanaon kay mokuyog kami kanimo. (We call on the Vice President to lead us in the 2022 battle, be with us and we will not leave you.)” she said.
Some urban poor groups in this region also expressed their support for Robredo, saying they have had enough of the extra-judicial killings under the Duterte administration. They said majority of the victims of these unjust killings targeted the poor.
Margarita Manatad, who represented the urban poor groups, said many of their members’ houses were demolished because the government failed to implement the Community Mortgage Program, which should have allowed urban poor members to own low-cost housing units.
Barangay San Nicolas, Cebu City chairman Clifford Jude Ninal, who represented the transport sector, said the country needs a new leader who will see the plight of the drivers and operators. Ninal said many of their members are still suffering from the pandemic and the government’s failure to address the problems.
He said that while they have to embrace the jeepney modernization program, the government must also not forget the hundreds of drivers that will be displaced.
Hal Atienza of Cebu Citizens Assembly, organizer of the event, said they also have the support from organizations from Leyte, Negros and other areas in the country. Atienza said they will forward their letters to Robredo on Wednesday.