Socialite Rosemarie “Baby” Arenas on Wednesday criticized third district Rep. Generoso Tulagan for allegedly failing to alleviate the people’s situation in the past nine years of his term.
Arenas, who was with her daughter Rachel during a news conference at the Pangasinan Regency Hotel, said that life remains difficult for the people in the district because they do not have access to health and education facilities, housing and micro-finance.
“(For) P5,000 pipila yong mga housewives, dala yong anak, dala yong labada nila, hirap na hirap. Pag si Rachel po ang nanalo, hindi na po pipila yan. P5,000 lang ho yan,” Arenas said.
Pangasinan’s third district is composed of Mapandan, Sta. Barbara, Calasiao, Malasiqui, Bayambang and San Carlos City.
“Yong hospital, education, housing, yong micro-finance, hindi ho naa-address yan. Pero ang kabutihan ho, mayroon batang interasado,” Arenas added, referring to her daughter who earlier announced her plans to join the congressional race in the district in the 2007 elections.
Following is the transcipt of Ms. Baby Arenas’ answer when asked why her daughter chose to run in the third district, instead of running for governor:
“Marami nga ho kayong lider, pero na-address ho ba (ang mga problema ng district)? Kami sa Makati, sobrang (na-)address. Nakita ho ninyo, nandoon ang hotels, the best hotels, the best reataurants. The malls are in Makati, not in Manila… In Pangasinan, there’s no mall. I was in the Wowowee, nakita ho ninyo, pinaakyat kami, hindi naman kami kasali doon. Nakakalungkot po, may kasama akong foreigner — an investor at that — two millionaires. Dito sa hotel na ito tumuntong. Nakikita ng mga babae sa counter. Pumunta kami sa mall, wala kaming banyong puwedeng gamitin. Now answer me, did your leaders address your problem? Hindi po.
Sa micro-finance, noong magpunta kami ni Rachel, 15,000 people ang dala ni (former Congressman) Eric Acuna. (For) P5,000 pipila yong mga housewives, dala yong anak, dala yong labada nila, hirap na hirap. Pag si Rachel po ang nanalo, hindi na po pipila yan. P5,000 lang ho yan. Sa amin sa Makati, ang usapan P5 million. Na-address ho ba yan ng congressman niyo nsa district? Sagutin niyo po ako kung nasagot niya, pati pagpapa-electric (sa farm) namin.
Naikot ko ang buong Pangasinan, buong Mindanao, lahat ng ipinangako ko na sinabi ko I will put (up) a clinic para yong mga bata hindi nagkakasakit. Yong hospital, education, housing, yong micro-finance, hindi ho naa-address yan. Pero ang kabutihan ho, mayroon batang interasado. Ako rin po baka tumakbo ako sa Makati. kaya baka magkahiwalay ho kami.
Ngayon ang clamor ng tao, ay maayos namin ang electoral system. Kasi sa amin po, napakagandang tumakbo, because I live there. Dito naman ho, mayroon na akong farm, nakikita ko po hirap na hirap kami at wala kaming tubig, wala kaming koryente. We’re in the center, we’re not in the bundok, pumunta ako dito nang magkaroon ng koryente ang farm namin.
So ang gusto lang ma-address diyan, hindi na masyadong mahirapan ang mga tao kasi puwede pong gawin. Kung nine years po na nakaupo kami, subukan niyo din po. Pero kung sa tingin po ninyo, gusto niyong ipagpatuloy ng mga lider na nakita na ho natin ang kanilang ginawa for nine years, ang taong bayan na po ang huhusga.
Kami ho ni Rachel, hindi ho kami trapo, hindi ho kami sanay na nagbibigay. Alam niyo naman ang aming lider medyo istrikto, hindi lang istrikto, kuripot pa. alam niyo na kung sino yon, huwag na nating sabihin ang pangalan baka magalit pa sa atin.”
Next post: Congressman Tulagan answers Arenas: ‘It’s too early for politicking.’
January 7th, 2006 at 10:34 am
Sure, another GIRL who was educated somewhere else probably from a prestigious school, cannot find a job somewhere else, or too lazy to work, thinks she is too smart and WHAT AN ARROGANT GIRL. Can she really afford to support her constituency without parents wealth? What does she know about politics anyway? Bachelor and major in politics maybe? She’s been living in a well manicured environment and silver-spoon fed. Sure, she is going to use the same lingua as other politicians who cannot be successfull where they were and what they were doing, entered politics and use the so-called “how poor the people are and I will be able to help them out”. YEAH RIGHT. Let her find another means of “REALLY” helping poor people. I agree with Mr. Tulagan, stop politicking. She cannot do anything to the existing problem/s in whatever district she wants to go into. The main problem in the Philippines is that there are so many people. So many children. The country is rich in Natural Beauty and Resources, but because of many people having so many children, poverty is eminent. If she TRULY wants to help the poor and needy people, work with the government.
Enough B.S. Be realistic and inhale the true “smell of coffee”
January 7th, 2006 at 10:38 am
Why is the mother doing all the talking? Is she the one running for office?