Volunteers do not necessarily have the time; they just have the heart.
— Author Elizabeth Jarrett Andrew
WITH the big number of party-list groups vying for the upcoming midterm elections on May 12, it’s a certainty that most of our voters would be at a quandary as to which group they would vote for a seat in the House of Representatives.
Let’s focus on the group known as Ang Bumbero ng Pilipinas (ABP) that is led by its president and first nominee Dr. Jose Antonio ‘Ka Pep’ Goitia.
The party-list opened recently it’s head office on J. W. Diokno Boulevard in Pasay City last Friday, March 21, and with the huge crowd that witnessed the event, we see the strong support it has gained which has resulted in its steady rise to Number 12 in the latest survey of party-list groups eyeing for election.
The strong show of support was proven by the attendance of well-known personalities and representatives from several sectors of society that strengthened the ABP’s advocacy to fight for the welfare of firefighters, rescuers and volunteers who are the first responders in any disaster or calamity and emergency situation.
Among the distinguished guests who were at the opening and blessing of the ABP headquarters was former Laguna governor ‘ER’ Ejercito, who has returned to politics as aspiring mayoral candidate of the municipality of Pagsanjan. The former governor was with his siblings Maria Guadalupe ‘Jhulia’, who is running as member of the provincial council of Laguna’s Fourth District, and Jorge Antonio Genaro ‘Jerico’, who is candidate for vice governor in the said province.
The Ejercito family declared its full support for ABP Party-list, which ER Ejercito courageously predicted would gain at least three million votes from Laguna alone.
Aside from the Ejercitos, other advocacy groups also declared support for ABP, among them the Filipinos Do Not Yield Movement (FDNY-Movement), People’s Alliance for Democracy and Reform (PADeR), Alyansa ng Bayan para sa Kapayapaan at Demokrasya (ABKD), Liga Independencia Pilipinas (LIPI), Isang Bansang Pilipinas (IBP) and Kapisanan ng Mamamayang Pilipino (KaMPil).
Goitia was accompanied in the inaugural opening of ABP’s office by other nominees of the party-list who included Leninsky Bacud, Catleya Cher Goitia, Jose Mari Alfonso Goitia, Carl Gene Moreno Plantado and Howie Quimzon Manga.
Coinciding with the opening, the positive results of ABP’s standing in the latest of the Tangere 2025 Pre-Election Party-List Preferential Survey was announced, showing that the group is now at Number 12 spot from 14.
As the lone partylist aiming to represent firefighters, rescuers and volunteers, ABP will prioritize to legislate laws that would focus on giving these first responders the benefits they need as well as their upgrade through the provision of better training and equipment.
“Narito kami upang ipaglaban ang ating matatapang na bumbero at unang tumutugon na mga disaster responder at volunteer na araw-araw na isinasaalang-alang ang kanilang buhay para sa kaligtasan ng iba. Misyon naming tiyakin na matatanggap nila ang pagkilala, suporta at mga benepisyong nararapat para sa kanila,” Dr. Goitia pointed out in the vernacular.
He lamented the lack of support for their sectoral representation while stressing their initiative to push for a comprehensive political platform and legislative agenda that pave the way for much needed reforms that would benefit every Filipino and the whole country.
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