Senatorial candidate Lito Yap David on Catholic Vote, gun control, senate experience, and political dynasty

Lito Yap David in GMA News To Go In Depth dated Jan 23, 2013

[I transcribed the interview of Lito David in GMA's News To Go which was uploaded in You Tube January 23, 2013.  I directly translated to English while transcribing.  I hope this transcript would be useful to others who wish to know more about the Senatorial Candidate Lito David of Ang Kapatiran Party.]

1.  What for you is the biggest problem in our country?

Poverty which is the fruit of corruption is the biggest problem of our country.  Thus, we must strive to remove corruption so that we can give solution to the problem of poverty of our citizens.

2.  You were are representative or member of the Ang Kapatiran Party which has religious orientation.  I assume that you have been an anti-RH advocate?

That is true.

3.  Why? So you believe that there is a Catholic Vote? 

It was proven in 1995.  Senator Flavier should have been No.  1, but he ended up No. 5 in that election.  This 2010, the poster girl of the RH campaign and the poster boys of the RH campaign–those three lost: Risa Hontiveros, Nerio Acosta, and Ruffy Biazon.  Negative Catholic vote was silent before, and did not became noisy.  But it happened.

4. But we can say that there are Pro-RH also won and the RH itself won.

The pro RH’s win, Howie, in the previous months we cannot say was not an honest vote.  As far as we know, because we were there, many of them there were intimidated or bribed to vote in favor  of RH.

5.  So there was bribery?

Yes.  It was clear.  It was not denied by the palace, even if we said it many times in the TV and radio, that they were there to threaten the others that if they will not vote Pro, they better not come; otherwise their pork barrel will not be released.  That was the thing that happened before.

6.  Do you possess a gun?

Me, no.  Ever since I never had a gun.

7.  What is your view on gun ownership and proliferation of guns in the society?

It was due to our allowing this culture.  But the Filipino culture is peace-loving.  But we only allowed a few to own guns.  The stand of Ang Kapatiran Party is not to outlaw guns and gun ownership, but to regulate well the bringing of guns in public.  The permit to carry is what should be regulated–that is what we are pushing for.

8.  Why are you immediately running for the senate? You have no experience in elections.  You have not yet run before.

This is my second time.  In 2010 I also ran under the Ang Kapatiran Party as one of the senatorial candidates.  I was instructed by the party to run again.  If it is experience and competence in crafting of laws, I already have a long experience.  I spent 10 years working in the senate, there are many laws that I took part in crafting.  There  are also many laws that I primarily finished. But because I am only a staff, I could not own the writing of the law. We are the background workers that make these laws.

9.  So what are tyourhe priorities if you enter the senate?

We have many priorities: the prohibition of political dynasty, control of ownership and use of guns, the passage of freedom of information law, the prohibition of the pork barre–these are some of the items that we shall really push for.  For me, personally, I wish to focus on the creation of frameworks for the use of land and water resources.  Up to this time, before I left senate, I already finished that proposal.  It was already in the senate floor.  But the problem is some senators did not find it important.  But for me it is important because this will give us true progress in our country.

10.  You oppose political dynasty, but you have a member in Ang Kapatiran, one senatorial candidate, JC delos Reyes who is a member of the Gordon Political Family.  Would you oppose his running again if the Anti-Dynasty Law gets passed?

He is the one who said that if the Anti-Dynasty Law gets passed, he said he will not run if Senator Gordon is there.

11.  Ok. We have a Miss Universe portion on a lighter portion regarding the character and personality.  When was the last time you cried?

Just the other day.  When I looked back to the length of time for my fight for the betterment of our society, sometimes I feel tired.  I started at 17 years old.  Many times I was nearly killed.  Before I fought for an ideology for our citizens.  Now I am fighting for the Faith for our citizens.

12.   What is the trait that you don’t like with your self?

Sometimes, I do procrastinate.  I have a problem with that.  But I was able to work against it.

13.  Do you have something to change in your past, what is it?

There are many things that I wish to change, that is why I am here.  This is my way to pay my sins to my fellowmen and to God.

Thank you, Lito David of Ang Kapatiran Party.

ANC: Three Ang Kapatiran Party senatorial bets file their candidacy

THE EDITED TRANSCRIPT:

KOKO: We’ll gonna go to Linda Homilla live at the Comelec. She is joined by more senatorial aspirants. Go ahead, Linda.

LINDA: Thanks, Koko. Well, we have here Mr. Lito David, Mr. JC de los Reyes, and Atty Marwil Llasos. Gentlemen, good afterrnoon. Thank you for joining us. Let me talk first to JC. Of course, a familiar face to our voters having run in 2010 presidential elections. How are you, JC.

JC: I am ok.

LINDA: What made you decide to run again.

JC: I was nominated by the party. I accepted. And my goal is to push the party platform and its principles.

LINDA: And of course Lito you also ran in 2010 as a senatorial candidate of JC.

LITO: I was asked again by the party. And I follow wishes of the party.

LINDA: And Atty. Llasos, you are a new comer to the party.

MARWIL: Yes, I am a political virgin. I am new to these things. That is why it is an experience for me.

LINDA: Of course, I am assuming that you will all have a central platform and legislation. And I’ll ask JC to be the spokesman.

JC: That’s what makes the Ang Kapatiran Party different. If there is someone who does not abide to the platform and principles, we remove him. Everybody will have to adhere to one symphony orchestra and one conductor. And that conductor is our platform. We are here to push the platform. Legislate the anti-political dynasty. Go all out against the pork barrel system. Those funds should be aligned to the priority projects of the smallest barangay. Then gun control that the Ang Kapatiran has been fighting for a long time. And fight for the FOI.

LINDA: I’ll ask you about the current issues. FOI—you are for FOI. How about the Cyber-Crime Law which is all the rage right now? Are you for it or amending it?

(JC gives the mike to Marwil)

MARWIL: Actually, yesterday I was interviewed in the radio. I said there are good provisions in the Cyber-Crime Provision Act. But there was inserted that is not good and this is fearsome because it is so repressive, for example the libel that was inserted in the Cyber-Crime Prevention Act. This is oppressive and is not proper to the democracy that must reign in our country. The Filipino people has no way out here. What gives me the reason to run for Senate in the coming elections, I saw that it is possible to insert a provision in the law that was not debated and the senators does not know. No public hearing. That is so contrary to the idea of parliamentary democracy: debate, discuss, and consult the Filipinos, especially the stakeholders in the law. So I see if that is how it is done, there is no hope for the people, it is time to change.

LINDA: Next issue: Reproductive health bill. There is a possibility that they may not pass it. There is a possibility that it may be carried over to the next Congress.

LITO: We will fight it out. In our party our stand is that it is not needed, because there are laws. And it is already in the mandate of the Department of Health the things that must be done for women, mothers, infants, and babies to be born. You do not need a new law if the intention is just money, because those who make condoms and contraceptives will have their life simpler. No more marketing is needed because the government will buy from them. And you know how much money one gets from those contraceptives and condoms? That one brand of condom how much they sold last year? 4 million pieces, 2 million pills, 1 million injectables, and 300,000 IUDs. That is big money. Especially if you put government money there. And the government will spend millions and millions for something that is not needed by our women.

LINDA: Alright. Thank you very much for your time gentlemen and we wish you luck in the coming campaign. Koko, Those are the candidates for Ang Kapatiran party.

KOKO: Thank you very much, stay tuned.

“Usapang Kapatid” in DZMM Radio and ABS-CBN’s The Filipino Channel: An interview with CBCP and Pro-Life groups on the Reproductive Health Bill

Source: Jescom (Jesuit Communications) Newsletter Issue No. 6

.. This Saturday on “Usapang Kapatid”

PRO-LIFE! Hear out the stand of the Church on the issue of the RH Bill. We’ll be joined by guests: Mr. Eric Manalang (President, Pro-Life Philippines, Inc.), Mr. Lito David (Member, Pro-Life Philippines, Inc.), Mr. Butch Valdez (political analyst); and phone interviews with Dra. Eleanor de Borja-Palabyab (Ob-Gyne), Dr. Joselito Sandejas (Chairman, Alliance of Family Organizations; Head, HB&A International-ARO Research) and Ms. Linda Ganar (CBCP Commission of Family and Life).

*Usapang Kapatid* airs every Saturday, 10:30pm to 12:00mn on DZMM Radyo Patrol 630, DZMM TeleRadyo [Sky Cable] channel 26, and The Filipino Channel (TFC).