All was not lost for the political opposition despite failed efforts to derail the Duterte administration’s additional tax burdens under the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Act, according to Liberal Party (LP) Sen. Francis N. Pangilinan, claiming they also scored “some wins.”
In a statement, Pangilinan cited, among others, the courts’ convictions of former First Lady Imelda Marcos for graft and ex-Col. Jovito Palparan for kidnapping University of the Philippines students Karen Empeño and Sherlyn Kadapan.
Pangilinan also added the aborted arrest of opposition Sen. Antonio F. Trillanes IV to their win column.
“Even as 2018 started with the TRAIN law implementation that proceeded with high rice prices, the removal of Supreme Court Chief Justice Lourdes Sereno, Bong Revilla’s plunder acquittal, killings of Rep. Rodel Batocabe, priests, mayors and regular folk, we had some wins,” Pangilinan said on Monday.
The opposition senator also expects that the year 2019 will give them “a chance to make fair the fight against high prices, unjust tax increases, hunger, calamities and traffic.”
“We have eight senatorial candidates who will fight for better chances and dignity for the Filipino family,” Pangilinan said, referring to their window of opportunity in the upcoming senatorial elections.
He likened the LP bets’ strong chances of winning to a local card game. “Similar to the dealt cards in the popular game of tong-its, all eight are good as each has the unquestionable ability to serve our country,” Pangilinan said, referring to LP senatorial bets Gary Alejano, Bam Aquino, Chel Diokno, Samira Gutoc, Pilo Hilbay, Romy Macalintal, Mar Roxas and Erin Tañada.