Akbayan endorses Mar Roxas for President; Risa Hontiveros, to run as LP guest candidate

The AKBAYAN party-list group formally endorsed the presidential bid of Liberal President Senator Mar Roxas in the 2010 national and local elections.

The group likewise announced it has accepted the offer of the Liberal Party for AKBAYAN Rep. Risa Hontiveros to be a guest candidate in LP's senatorial slate for next year's election.

AKBAYAN is the first party-list group to endorse a presidential candidate for the 2010 polls. The Liberal Party is expected to name Roxas as its standard bearer in the presidential election next year.

"Oras na para ang mga pwersang nagnanais ng tunay na pagbabago sa ating bansa ay magkaisa para makamit na natin ang matagal nating minimithing maunlad at modernong bansa (It is time for the political forces that yearn for a progressive Philippines to unite)," Roxas said after being informed of AKBAYAN's endorsement of his bid for the presidency.

The Liberal Party and AKBAYAN, he added, will be offering a common agenda of good governance and reforms that will push for an activist government that truly cares for the people and their welfare.

AKBAYAN President Ronald Llamas said their group believes Roxas is the only presidential candidate who could stop rampant graft and corruption in government.

"Walang Presidente, kahit na gaano kagaling, ang makakapagsulong ng anumang reporma kung hindi nito sisingilin ang GMA administration dahil sa talamak na korupsyon sa gobyerno (No President, however competent, can push true reforms unless it makes the current administration pay for the gross corruption in government," he said.

"Kailangan natin ng isang lider na kayang itulak ang mga tunay na reporma, at para sa amin, sa lahat ng nagbabalak na tumakbo bilang presidente ay si Mar Roxas lang ang tanging pwede naming makasama (We need a leader that can push true reforms, and for us in Akbayan, among all those aspiring to become President, it is only Mar Roxas that we can join in this fight)," Llamas said. Llamas was re-elected as Akbayan president in the partylist group's 4th Regular Congress held last Friday at the Club Filipino.

He added Roxas' principles and platforms made him different from the other candidates.

"Pinili namin ang kandidato na klarong hindi makikipagnegosasyon sa GMA administrasyon at hindi sasabak sa halalan sa 2010 na ang batayan ay baluktot na political accommodations (We chose a candidate who will not compromise with the GMA Administration and will not run in the 2010 elections through unprincipled political accommodations)," Llamas said.

"Matagal na rin kaming nakakatrabaho si Mar Roxas batay sa aming mga tinutulak na reporma, kagaya ng pagtulay sa batas para sa murang gamot (We have worked for reforms with Mar Roxas based on our platform, like the passage of the Cheaper Medicines Law)," he also said.

Llamas said he is confident that with the inclusion of Hontiveros in LP's senatorial line-up, Filipinos could look forward to a stop in government corruption and an economic policy that would protect local industries and the interests of farmers, workers and professionals.