ROXAS: WE NEED TO FREE FILIPINOS FROM HUNGER, POVERTY
INDEPENDENCE MEANINGLESS WITH UNFULFILLED PROMISES

Liberal President Senator Mar Roxas today said the next President's tough job is to liberate 27.5 million Filipinos from poverty and hunger that the Arroyo Administration failed to do as it promised as he led celebrations of the 111th Philippine Independence Day in Cebu City this morning.

"Habang ginugunita natin ngayon ang ika-111 taong anibersaryo ng ating kalayaan, patuloy pa rin nating nararamdaman ang gutom, ang kahirapan. Wala pa rin tayong trabaho, wala pa rin tayong pag-asa," he said after raising the Philippine flag with Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmena and other city officials in ceremonies at the Cebu City Hall.

Roxas noted that 12.2 million Filipinos go hungry every day while 27.6 million remain poor that government sloganeering and propaganda failed to solve since President Arroyo took over Malacanang.

"Napakabigat ng babalikating mga problema ng ating susunod na pangulo. Una at higit sa lahat ay ang pag-ahon sa ating mga kababayan mula sa hirap at gutom. Panahon na para tuparin ang mga pangakong paulit-ulit na lamang napapako," Roxas said.

He lamented that instead of finding solutions to ease poverty and hunger as the Philippine economy slowed down as a result of the global financial meltdown, President Arroyo had triggered an assault by her allies against the country's democracy through a Senate-less constituent assembly.

"Tatayo at lalabanan natin ang anumang plano ng Malakanyang na babuyin ang ating Saligang Batas. Hindi maaaring tatanggapin at paniniwalaan lang natin agad ang sinasabi ng ating gobyerno. We cannot be passive. Lalaban tayo," he said.

That's why in the next elections, Filipino voters must be wiser and weed out candidates who give false promises of better lives, more jobs, food in the table and economic stability to ensure that the "best" President, Roxas added.

He added the next President should not concentrate on what he could deliver during his first 100 days in power but "the agenda should be for the entirety of his six-year term."

"Let us ensure that nation-building is anchored on a solid rock of morality and good governance, good governance that begins at the top and reflects all the way down," he added.