Senator Manny Pacquiao meets with his supporters in Cebu City. | Delta Dyrecka Letigio
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Senator Manny Pacquiao, who is running for President of the country for the upcoming 2022 elections, promised that he would prioritize providing housing to homeless Filipinos should he win the presidency.
In fact, Pacquiao said that should he be elected President, every Filipino would have a home already in four to five years.
“Ang total sa mga walay balay sa atong nasod 6.7 million. Informal settlers, naa sa laylayan gyod, naa sa almost 1.9 million. Pero pareha sa akong giingon sa inyoha, 4 to 5 years magkaroon na sila ng pabahay. Malipay lang ko nga mobalita sa inyoha, moingon lang ko nga 4 to 5 years aron di ko mahimog bakakon, pero sa akong estimate 3 to 4 years naa nay balay tanan,” said the senator.
Pacquiao said that in order to get the funds for this massive housing project, the government must be cleansed of corruption and corrupt officials. This is the only way to ensure that the money needed for the project will be raised.
“Moingon sila nga impossible, pero sultian tamo, ang makawat sa gobyerno dili moubos sa P1 trillion sa usa ka tuig. Mao nang pugngan ang korupsyon. Bisan maka save lang tag P500 billion sa usa ka tuig, sa tulo ka tuig P1.5 trillion na. Ang kinahanglan ra nato kay P1.3 to P1.5 trillion para mahatagan na og balay tanan,” he said.
Should this project push through, he said the massive housing project will be done simultaneously all over the country and not only in specific areas at a single time.
This way time will not be wasted and funds will be divided equally among the regions, provinces, and local government units (LGUs).
Yet in order to fulfill this promise, Pacquiao said corruption must be obliterated in the government. He said that it disgusts him how this administration has managed the government.
“Ang atong nasod kinahanglan na gyod disiplinahon. Dili na ni tiaw-tiaw atong problema sa atong nasod. Ang kwarta sa gobyerno gikawat bilyon-bilyon mao na ang akong gipungutan, kay pwerteng daghanang mga tawo nga naglisod…walay kalamboan ang atong nasod kung dili na mapriso ang mga kawatan sa gobyerno,” he said.
Pacquiao said that even the Bilibid is no longer a guarantee that corrupt officials will change their ways because the Bilibid prison has become a prison city where rich and powerful people still rule.
So, when he becomes president, he vows to build a Mega Prison, where even the most powerful official will be treated like any other criminal.
“Pag-abot sa panahon, maghimo tag Mega Prison. Magbutang ta didtog hospital, kubol aron kung magpahospital arrest, no problem naa na sulod. Naay camera na, para kahibalo ta nakamonitor ang Malcañan permanente.”
“Nagtuo sila nga dili nako tinudon? Kulbaan na sila kay pag ako modaog, hasta anino nila kahadlukan nila,” he said.
The senator said he hopes Cebuanos would believe him when he says he wants real change in the country and that he can deliver this through the Grace of God. /rcg
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