1.

Sonny Angara (LDP)

I choose this candidate because of his productivity in the Congress and in our
government system. In his 14 years as legislator, he already sponsored or authored more than
80 laws and one of this is the widen access to education through the passage of the Free
College Law, and the Unified Student Financial Assistance System Act (UNIFAST) to ensure that
scholarships go to poor and deserving students. He is also one of the authors of the Universal
Kindergarten Law, the Ladderized Education Act, the Open Learning and Distance Education
Act, Youth Entrepreneurship Act, the law integrating Moro history in the school curriculum, and
laws to create universities in far-flung rural areas. He also sponsored the law strengthening the
Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) to provide greater OFW representation and
benefits, the Seafarers Protection Act, and the law that made OFW balikbayan boxes tax-free.
He also champions laws that empower women (the Magna Carta of Women), senior citizens
(Expanded Senior Citizens Act), persons with disabilities (Act Expanding the Benefits and
Privileges of PWDs), and the informal sector (Magna Carta for Workers in the Informal Economy
bill).
We cannot question the capability of Sonny to serve for the greatness of our country
and the people in it. Hence, his background also reflects on what he was today. He was a
graduate of Xavier School, the London School of Economics, the University of the Philippines
College of Law, and Harvard School Law School. He became a columnist and a professor of Law.
Sonny Angara was against divorce and death penalty; while in favor about BBL, Martial
Law extension in Mindanao, Train law and approved on Anti-political Dynasty law. He argued
about the reinstating of the national punishment because he believe that criminality should be
solve by reforms of developing our justice system and prosecution procedures in order for it to
be speedy and therefore, justice can be serve without wasting many years of trials. He also
added that law enforcement agencies should be overhaul and cleanse them of corruption.
Moreover, Sonny didn’t have any issues about dishonesty during his terms of service in
our government and remain transparent to all the people he served. Lastly, his platform in this
election will help many people. He is advocating for bills that would improve healthcare
services in the country—the expansion of the Universal Healthcare Law to cover free check-ups
and laboratory tests, the Healthy Nanay and Bulilit bill (or the First 1,000 Days bill), the free
medicines law, and the free dialysis for the poor bill.

2. Grace Poe (IND)

Grace Poe is not just the typical woman that we saw in his last advertisement saying
“po” indicating for being courteous to others. She is more than that. She is the main promoter
of Freedom of Information Bill and the first lady senator to serve as chair of the committee on
public order and dangerous drugs. She believes that in order to achieve a just, progressive and
lasting peace in the country is depending on the free flow of information to the public.
She works for lowering the taxes, and is firm in claiming the West Philippine Sea as our
territory. Her stand in favoring RH Bill is to lessen and eradicate maternal deaths. She’s in favor
also in BBL and to charter change to attract more investors. She believes that Federalism can
only be achieved if the anti-political dynasty law was passed in the Congress. In the same way,
she make sure that everyone especially children has access to quality education and proper
nutrition is her major legislative priority that’s why one of the first bills she filed in the Senate
was the Free Lunch Program which seeks to provide free lunch to malnourished children in all
public schools nationwide. In term of transparency, Grace Poe is one of the Senators that I
considered honest in every ways.

3. Cynthia Villar (KDP)

I choose this candidate because of her strong ideology for serving people in this country.
The educational background of this candidate is much acceptable for me. Her experiences as a
Chairman of Committee on Higher and Technical Education, during the 13th and 14th congress,
acts as a proof that she can understand the importance of free education. She practiced as a
financial analyst and college professor until she married Former House Speaker and Senate
President Manny Villar in 1975. She was President of the Lady Legislators during the 12th, 13th
& 14th Congress initiating Legislation benefitting women, children and family. Cynthia Villar
founded and chaired the Villar Foundation (now Villar Social Institute for Poverty Alleviation
and Governance or Villar SIPAG), the programs of which include providing assistance to OFWs
sponsoring the OFW family summit every November attended by 5,000 OFW families,
environment protection establishing the Las Piñas-Parañaque Wetland Park and livelihood
projects, which she has established in nearly 1900 locations all over the country. She is an
honorary member of Philippine Horticultural Society. In the 2013 Midterm Elections, Cynthia
Villar won as Senator of the country. Senator Villar is the current chairperson of the Senate
Committee on Agriculture and Food as well as the Senate Committee on Environment and
Natural Resources. She worked for the establishment of 1,955 farm schools all over the country
supported by TESDA.

4. Serge Osmeṅa (IND)

I choose this candidate because of his humble background as a farmer and became as
businessman in the process. He did not have a college degree but proved himself in the
Congress that he is much capable enough to do his job. Sixty-five bills he authored have been
passed into law, including the Absentee Voting Law, Retail Trade Liberalization Act,
Government Procurement Act, Securities Regulations Code, and the Regional Headquarters for
Multi-National Companies Act. He has also co-authored 55 other laws including the Agriculture
and Fisheries Modernization Act, the Clean Air Act, the Anti-Money Laundering Act and the
Safeguards Measures Act. He has moreover directed substantial budgetary support to
government-owned medical institutions to fund the medical needs of indigent patients.

In all past Congress, Sen. Osmeña III has always filed the most number of bills in the Senate.
He has also chaired 14 out of 36 Senate committees - including Agriculture and Food, Trade and
Commerce, Economic Affairs, and Agrarian Reform. He was recently elected chairman of the
Senate Committee on Banks, Financial Institutions and Currencies. He is tasked with steering
the passage into law of the Securitization Bill, the Pre-Need Code, the Amendment to the PDIC
Charter, the PERA Bill and the Revised Investment Company Act (Mutual Funds). All these
proposed measures are critical to the development of the Country's long-term capital market.
Sen. Osmeña III has always emphasized the urgent need for developing the countryside areas
where the poorest of the poor live and work. Out of his total 3,251 infrastructure projects in all
79 provinces, 80% are situated in the rural areas.

5. Pia Cayetano (NP)

I myself believe that RH Bill should be implemented in our country; hence, this is my
reason why I will vote this candidate. I believe that through these RH Bill, issues of maternal
death will be lessen or eradicate and will lighten up especially the youth on the importance of
sex. She also supports children and elderly by legislating laws that will help them. Like the the
Act Amending the National Health Insurance Act (RA 10606), Foster Care Act (RA 10165),
Mandatory Infants and Children Health Immunization Act (RA 10152), Expanded Breastfeeding
Promotion Act (RA 10028), Establishment of Persons with Disability Affairs Office Act (RA
10070), Expanded Senior Citizens Act (RA 9994), Food and Drugs Administration Act (RA 9711),
Magna Carta of Women (RA 9710), Universally Accessible Cheaper and Quality Medicines Act
(RA 9502), National Anti-Rabies Act (RA 9482), and the Environmental Awareness and
Education Act (RA 9512), among others.

6. Benigno Bam Aquino (LP)

If this candidate did not have a family name of Aquino should I still vote this candidate? I
think my answer is yes. This man is not just a man that has related blood to the big name of
politics. This candidate is much more than a man who is related to family that faced many
national issues in the past. No, this man proved himself that he is much greater than a man
living in the shadow of his family. A former youth leader and social entrepreneur, has 19 laws
under his belt and continues to empower Filipino families through education, entrepreneurship
and employment. His most recent law, the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act,
will make tuition and other miscellaneous expenses free in our State Universities and Colleges,
Local Universities and Colleges, and TESDA- accredited Technical Vocational Institutions. This
recent law that he presented helped many poor students like me to have an education without
expenses. And I want to have more laws that he will authored in the Congress that will help
many people and students. Moreover, he agrees in BBL which I believe is good and it can bring
more peace in Mindanao. And also he is against in lowering the age of criminality in Philippines
and which I considered a good stand especially if the life of the youth that we are talking about.
7. Koko Pimentel (PDP-Laban)
He is a fearless parliamentarian, Pimentel ran for a post in the Interim Batasan elections
as an official candidate of the Lakas ng Bayan (Laban) party of Metro Manila with Ninoy
Aquino. Members of Marcos’ Kilusan ng Bagong Lipunan (KBL) party swept the
seats. Pimentel’s second stint in prison did not silence him. In fact, it strengthened his resolve
to fight for freedom and to oppose electoral fraud. Ever the parliamentarian, he brought the
battle from the streets to the polls in January 1980 when Marcos allowed local elections. He is
also the current president of the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP–Laban). He
is the current Chairman of the Senate Committees Electoral Reforms and People’s Participation,
Games and Amusement, and Select Oversight Committee on Suffrage. Koko Pimentel was
responsible for Senate Bill 3104 which established the Social Housing Development and Finance
Corporation and Senate Bill 3115 which established the Cordillera Autonomous Region,
replacing the current Cordillera Administrative Region. In his current stands, he is yes in BBL
which is good because I believed it will help to strengthen the peace in Mindanao. He is yes to
federalism but I want him it to be approve if there is already an Anti-political Dynsaty act that
will pass in the Congress before it to be implemented.

8. Jiggy Manicad (IND)

This candidate is a journalist which I considered as a good way to put it in Congress. He
already knows some issues of the Congress which he can change if he is in Congress. I believe
that putting some journalist in the Congress will be a good thing because he knows how to be
transparent to other people. He has documented many investigations, war, conflicts and
poverty. He is against contractualization. About the lowering of the age of criminal liability, he
said that what the government should focus on the root of all this criminality, not the children.
However, he agreed that the age can be lowered to 13 years old, given that they should not be
imprisoned with the hardened criminals. His platform also focuses in the agricultural areas,
specifically to the farmers, which is a good thing because it will lessen the prices of fertilizers
and many more farm products that will eventually help our farmers in the country.