By SHERYLIN UNTALAN, GMA Integrated News
SOGOD, Southern Leyte— Senatorial bets Atty. Jesus “Jayvee” Hinlo and Dr. Richard Mata on Wednesday called for unity despite members of the Duterte family voicing support for different candidates.
“Lumabas ang endorsement ni VP Sara kay Camille Villar at Imee Marcos. Pero lumabas rin ang endorsement ni Pangulong Duterte kay Gringo Honasan at Ariel Querubin na sinabi ni Congressman Pulong Duterte. At meron rin ang nakapagsabi sa akin na si Mayor Baste Duterte iba rin yung in-endorse,” Hinlo said at a press conference in Sogod, Southern Leyte.
Despite these differences, Hinlo stressed that all Dutertes are aligned on a core list of senatorial candidates.
“Yung pinaka-importante sa kanilang tatlo... Pareho silang lahat sa pamilyang Duterte na nagsasabi na dapat yung DuterTEN ay manalo.”
Meanwhile, Mata said he respects the endorsement but urged voters to be “solid” under DuterTEN.
“Sa akin naman po, talagang solid talaga tayo sa 10. We respect VPSara, FPRRD, Mayor Baste,” he added.
PDP-Laban
Mata, the newly adopted PDP-Laban senatorial bet, sees his inclusion in the party’s slate as a major boost to his campaign, describing it as a “good opportunity” to push his long-standing advocacy for healthcare reform.
“Actually it really helped,” he said in an ambush interview with GMA News Online, reflecting on his journey from being a social media health advocate to an official candidate under a major political party.
Mata, who has 2.7 million followers online, including many overseas Filipino workers, emphasized that despite his ties to Senator Bong Go and former President Rodrigo Duterte, he did not use those connections to fast-track his entry into PDP-Laban.
“I followed the process of PDP.Kaya lang late po kasi ako nag-decide, yun po yung nagkasakit si Dr. Willie Ong, doon ako nag-decide kasi ayaw ko rin mawala ang health advocacy.”
During his opening remarks at the press conference, Mata highlighted his experience assisting Senator Go in matters concerning PhilHealth, COVID-19, and vaccination.
His main platform centers on fixing the country’s healthcare system, particularly PhilHealth and hospital accessibility.
Key issues
Meanwhile, the lone senatorial candidate from the Visayas under PDP-Laban, Hinlo, maintained his earlier claim that the current administration has "no clear direction."
He pointed out that the administration's failure to address key issues, particularly in agriculture, continues to weaken the country’s economic growth.
“I still maintain that statement,” he stated, addressing a previous comment about the administration's lack of direction.
The senatorial aspirant claimed that the root cause of the issue lies in the current political system, where aid and politics are often mixed.
“Nagsasabi yun na mali yung traditional na formula na ginagawa ng ating ekonomiya,” he noted, suggesting that this approach has failed and that there is a need to shift how economic assistance is distributed.
Moreover, he highlighted his proposal for a state-managed farming and fishing system, which would involve the government in overseeing agricultural and fishery operations.
Hinlo also advocated for an overhaul of the educational system, not focusing on academics but on value formation. Hinlo then reaffirmed his commitment to represent the Visayas and work for a stronger and more sustainable Philippines.
"Iisang senador na nag-re-representa sa Visayas," he said, as he called for greater focus on regional concerns. —VAL, GMA Integrated News
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