Re-electionist and opposition senator Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino IV
meets with editors and reporters of the Philippine Star recently, he laid down
his plans for the future and talked about this accomplishment in his first term
as senator.
Aquino, is running under the opposition coalition’s slate known as
Otso Diretso this coming May elections.
His platform takes point in the fact that he is the principal
sponsor of Republic Act 10931, also known as the Free College Act that promotes
universal access to quality tertiary education by providing free tuition and
other school fees in state universities and colleges, local colleges and
universities and state-run technical vocational institutions.
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| Senator Bam Aquino (photo credit to PhilStar) |
“The Free College Act was 30 years in the making… if we are able
to pass such a difficult measure, it means we can also do the same with other
difficult laws. We’ve been fighting for this since I was a student leader. With
political will and support from teachers, youth groups, students and school
institutions, we came together to push for this,” Bam Aquino said.
“So the major reforms
in the educational system can be done in the first year of the
18th Congress. Then reform on the structure of both public and private
institutions. We also need to provide more support for teachers, ensure update
in the curriculum that would make them more competitive with graduates of our
neighboring countries,” he added.
RA 10931 is one of 35
laws Aquino pushed since he was elected for the first time as
a senator during the term of his cousin then former President Benigno
“noynoy” Aquino IV.
Not a credit grabber
During the forum he also address the issue that he is a credit
grabber as alleged on social media.
“Trolls are accusing me of credit grabbing, terrorist and many
others,” Aquino said.
He admits that his bashers used to be mild, and would only resort
to calling him in Wikipedia as a “ninja turtle.”
Being always attacked online by trolls, he admits that makes his
re-election this time around a bit more challenging unlike during the time his
cousin then president Benigno Aquino IV was so popular and was a big factor in
his victory at the time.
This time around being elected is a different ballgame altogether because
“the issue is now my track record.”
“Sariling sikap na yan. I am hoping people will look at the track
record,” Aquino said.
Senator Aquino said his team never gets tired of correcting
misinformation against him but the “machinery” being used to degrade him is
vicious and strong.
“The political situation now is really different from the
political scenario in 2013 and you have to accept it and be able to address
it,” Aquino said.
Otso Diretso
On the topic of his co-candidates In the Otso Diretso slate ““the
best slate I’ve ever been part of.”
“They are the kind of people we need in the Senate. As they say,
the Senate is the last bastion of democracy. We really need an independent
Senate,” he said.
OtherOtso Diretso candidates include former senator Mar Roxas,
Magdalo Party Rep. Gary Alejano and former ex-Quezon Representative Erin
Tañada, lawyers Chel Diokno, Pilo Hilbay and Romulo Macalintal, as well as Muslim
assemblywoman Samira Gutoc.
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