LAGUNA Lake and Manila Bay based groups on Friday declared their support to the senatorial bid of activist lawmaker Teddy Casino of Makabayan coalition.
In a press statement, groups Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya), Save Laguna Lake Movement and Koalisyon Kontra Kumbersyon ng Manila Bay (KKK-Manila Bay) which operate in all lake towns of Laguna Lake (Laguna and Rizal provinces and cities of Taguig and Muntinlupa) and coastal areas in Manila Bay (Cavite, Las Pinas, Paranaque, Navotas, Bulacan, Pampanga ad Bataan) said it is high time for the bay people of Manila Bay and lakefolks of Laguna de Bay to ensure the victory of Rep. Casino, whom they said will be their staunch ally in the Senate in case activist lawmaker wins a seat in the Upper House.
“Casino’s victory in the Senate is not only a moral crusade to begin with. In fact is a political necessity and the current situation task us to make sure Casino will emerge as a winner in the May 2013 elections against the present crop of traditional and reactionary politicians running for senators,” said Pamalakaya vice chairperson Salvador France in a press statement.
Aside from Casino, the groups are also supporting the partylist bid of Anakpawis partylist where its no.1 nominee, Fernando Hicap, is the current chairperson of the Pamalakaya fisherfolk alliance.
France said Casino has been very supportive of the fisher people’s fight against massive land and water use conversion in Laguna Lake, which if pursued, will displace half-a million people all over Laguna de Bay. The Pamalakaya official said Casino also opposed large-scale reclamation projects in Manila Bay.
He said Casino and Anakpawis partylist Rep. Rafael Mariano sponsored congressional inquiries on the impact of large-scale reclamation not only in Manila Bay and other areas covered by the National Reclamation Plan (NRP) of the Philippine Reclamation Authority (PRA).
Earlier, front running partylist group Anakpawis endorsed the senatorial bid of Casino and 8 other candidates gunning for senate seats in the May 2013 polls.
Anakpawis partylist which came a strong no.10 among the partylists surveyed by the Social Weather Station(SWS) and Business World last month and no.5 among the most favored partylist group in Rizal province according to an independent survey is also supporting Loren Legarda, Francis “Chiz” Escudero, Alan Peter Cayetano, Cynthia Villar, Grace Poe, Koko Pimentel, Jamby Madrigal and Jun Magsaysay.
The Laguna Lake and Manila Bay groups said progressive partylists and people’s organizations can deliver at least 9 million votes for Casino based on recent SWS survey on partylists running in the May 2013 polls.
The votes generated by progressive partylists under the Makabayan coalition which include Anakpawis., Bayan Muna and Gabriela represent 22 percent of the total votes for the partylist race if the elections will be conducted today.